


Untitled Trash

by rainbow_arrow



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois Friendship, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aromantic Alix Kubdel, Asexual Nino Lahiffe, Bisexual Disaster Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Confused Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Needs A Hug, Future Fic, Good Friend Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Identity Porn, Lesbian Chloé Bourgeois, M/M, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nino Lahiffe Knows, Nino Lahiffe Ships It, Nonbinary Alix Kubdel, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Alya Césaire, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, individual chapters tagged, lukadrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:01:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 119,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26306749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbow_arrow/pseuds/rainbow_arrow
Summary: Time doesn't exist and nothing matters.The best way to be happy is to make other people happy, right?Lukadrien, yes. if you also want all the characters to be queer and the introduction to more tragic backstories and a Chloe redemption arc and mutual pining and appropriately dealing with mental health and dumb references to fanfiction and a primarily future-au and everyone ending up...happy(?). Also yes.tldr: this is essentially Fun. and Neon Trees propaganda mixed with headcanons and memes I enjoy, but mostly Lukadrien.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 141
Kudos: 249





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo what up it's me-- sorry this is a bit long of a note, I swear they're shorter going forward, and that the actual content is longer.
> 
> At this exact moment I've got 70,000 words typed for this, and it's definitely not finished, but I just felt the need, with school and everything else in this chaotic world to finally begin posting.  
> I think I shall be updating every....Monday? (pretend today is monday, okay)  
> I'm also in college and applying for grad school and working and I always make time for this, but it's also being written wack out of order so while I have the following 20 chapters, I technically do not have chapter two finished. yET.
> 
> There's a lot that's going to happen in future chapters, which I will absolutely 100% always tag at the beginning of the work (some harder to handle topics include: sexual assault, self harm, suicide references, depression) but even the smaller things I can tag (if you have something specific just ask). Also the recreational use of marijuana is very much a thing. 
> 
> Also to note, while Lukadrien is endgame, so is Juleka/Rose, and Alya/Nino.  
> Marinette...well her story is told throughout, but she ends up dating uhhhh a lot of different people.
> 
> Update Jan 30:  
> Hey I'm still writing! I just hit 200k typed, so that's pretty cool I'd say. I'd say I'm updating about once a week at this point, most commonly on Wednesday or Sunday. I'm still in school and working and general life in these crazy times, so the updates are a bit more sporadic, but still very much happening.
> 
> TW:  
> n/a

May -1-  
“Chat.”

“Yes m’lady?” He turned, high on love on a summer's day in Paris; they got together to discuss the other miraculouses, their future, and something Chat was not prepared for.

She stopped walking, a little concern on her face.

“Aw, what’s wrong bugaboo? Cat got your tongue?” he teased, smirking as he turned to face her too.

“You need to stop that.”

His face dropped, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I don’t love you, Chat Noir, and I-- there’s a boy and he likes me, and I think I really like him too.” Chat’s mind wasn’t piecing it together, and she could tell, “I’m not interested and I’m dating someone else now.”

He nodded, “Got it, Ladybug.” he exhaled, laughing nervously, “That’s great.” Neither of them said anything, so Chat looked up at the clouds in the sky, “I think I’m gonna head home. That’s great though.” he tacked on quickly, not giving her an opportunity to respond, “See ya.”

\----------------

Late May -1-  
“Sorry guys, but I’ve actually gotta head out now--” Adrien announced, standing from the couch they were all chilling on after band rehearsal on the Couffaine’s boat.

“Aw dude that sucks, glad you could stick around for a bit though.” Nino said, reaching up for a fist bump, his other friends waving, offering their farewells.

“Hey Adrien, could I have a word with you real fast?” Luka asked as he stood from where he sat on the opposite end of the couch next to Marinette, who looked a bit overwhelmed by the potential of the two boys talking.

The blond smiled, “Yeah totally.”

The group watched the two walk off the boat before resuming their conversation, save for Alya, who hesitantly looked to her friend, clearly on the verge of tears, “Girl, what am I missing?”

“You know I talked to Adrien earlier, right?”

\-----

“Hey, what’s this about? Are you okay?”

Marinette sighed, trying to calm her racing heart, “Yes, I’m okay. I just really need to ask you something. I’ve been meaning to for quite some time now.”

Adrien watched her, waiting, “Okay…”

She felt suddenly very very aware of him, losing the microscopic cool she had a moment earlier, he was just watching her with such concern and his his eyes so full of compassion, “There’s this uhm, boy I-- who is-- just so amazing and great and pretty and maybe-- just wondering if maybe a date?”

He looked carefully at her, trying to decipher the message she hid in there, “Is this about...Luka?” she froze, and he took that as an answer, beaming, “Marinette, this is wonderful!”

She couldn’t help but smile at his reaction as he pulled her into a hug, “Y-yeah.”

Pulling back, he kept his hands on her shoulders, “You deserve to be happy and Luka is really so great. Did he say something-- or are you going to-- sorry, I get--” he exhaled, clearly more excited about this decision than she was, “You two are going to be so good. So cute.” he placed a kiss lightly on her forehead.

Marinette smiled weakly, the conversation definitely not going where she intended, “Th-thanks, Adrien.”

\----

Alya beamed, “That’s fantastic, Marinette. You like Luka, and you even got Adrien’s blessing-- unintentionally, of course. And you definitely have mine. And Nino’s.” he nodded.

“It’s not that-- I didn’t go for---” she sighed, “Yeah. Thanks.”

\----

The pair walked off the boat, Adrien waiting for the other to stop or say something, “You’re really close with Marinette, right?”

He nodded, “I’d say so.”

“Now, I don’t want to overstep,” he stopped, facing the other, “But to clarify, you’re strictly friends with her, correct?” he nodded slowly, “You have absolutely no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship with her?”

Adrien shook his head, “Oh, no way. Marinette is a good friend of mine, besides she’s interested in someone else, and I think they would be really great together and make each other very happy.” he smiled as the other’s eyebrows furrowed together.

“Oh, if she already--”

“No, no, Luka.” he placed his hand on his arm, leaning closer, “It’s you. You’re so sweet and considerate and talented and honestly really pretty--” he rubbed the back of his head nervously with his other hand, “Besides, I’ve seen how you look at her. You two would be so good together.”

Luka looked at him, a little overwhelmed with his...bold statement. Definitely not what he was expecting from this conversation, “Thanks, Adrien. If we’re going to be honest, I was just making sure you weren’t planning on asking her out.”

This confused the blond, “Me?” he laughed, “No, Marinette is my friend and she deserves to be happy.”

The older boy had a lot to say on that sentence, but chose not to, as he definitely already got the go-ahead, “Well, I should let you go.” he held his hand out, “You’re a good person, and a great friend, Adrien.”

He looked at his hand, taking it and pulling him into a hug, “Thanks Luka. Mari’s so lucky.”

\------------------


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's not monday
> 
> warnings:  
> n/a  
> (people just talk a lot this chapter)

August -1-

Chat sighed perched on a chimney looking between all the heroes, talking in a circle on a rooftop. He typically loved team bonding, but everything felt so...forced in the past few months, especially with Ladybug shutting down any type of fun banter he started. Which, on the bright side, allowed him to bond with more of the other heroes. Viperion, who he knew was Luka, was always down to banter right back. Rena had to be in the right mood, while Carapace was also fun, he was being called less frequently. Ryuko, however, equally wanted him to stop as much as she wanted to end him.

He didn’t get it. Of the heroes he knew, the opinion they had on Chat rarely lined up with how they felt about Adrien. More often, they loved the Adrien Agreste, and found Chat to be...not as ideal. Which really should not have bothered him as much as it did; being adored and appreciated half the time was more than he could ask for. But he felt so much more like himself as Chat, not pressured to live up to dumb expectations, as there were none. Carapace enjoyed Chat, similar to how Nino enjoyed Adrien. It was great, and he knew he could be however and he’d always like him.

Ryuko made him question the most. He loved Kagami, but her growing annoyance towards his ‘child-like’ behavior as Chat was starting to get to him. She was never rude, but quite a bit curt at times, very unlike how she’d opened up to Adrien. The two had gone on several dates, and while he enjoyed being with her, he never really felt like himself. He also did not like going on formal dates, and definitely made a mental note to talk to Nino about that to see if it was a normal feeling.

Since being trusted with their miraculouses full time, like Chat and Ladybug always had, the others were really shaping out to be really strong heroes. With the added benefit of fights being far less frantic as Ladybug didn’t have to run off when backup was needed, it was a wonder they didn’t make this change sooner. With the assistance of Pegasus’s knowledge of technology, each of the heroes could easily be summoned when needed with the press of a button.

He watched everyone carefully, all talking and enjoying each other in the summer heat. It felt good to be a part of something. Shifting from person to person, his eyes lingered on Viperion, hesitating long enough to witness his hand brush against Ladybug’s arm. Drawn by the movement, he watched her look up to him and smile, which he returned. There was something about it that felt...off. A touchy group of friends, the heroes never held back on hugs or physical affection. But that was nothing, right? He wished someone with a lot more sense in their head had witnessed it to help him decipher.

Viperion, still listening to Rena in the circle, folded his arms, definitely leaning closer to Ladybug. Chat pouted, thinking hard. Luka wasn’t one to--he could feel gears grinding in his head.  _ No,  _ of course he wasn’t one to have such body language and openness to anyone, but that would mean--

“Thinking hard, Chat?”

“God--fuck--” he jumped, tail tensing as King Monkey laughed.

“Sorry, sorry, you’re just really not one to, you know--”

“What,  _ think? _ Thanks.” he shook his head, taking his tail in his hands.

“You’re clearly thinking very hard about something. Care to share your thoughts? Seems like you could use some help.”

Chat pouted, considering if, and how much he should open up. “You’re fairly new to the team. Have you ever wondered anyone’s identities?” 

The other hero thought a moment, “Not necessarily. Of course I’ve wondered, but does it matter? Knowing Chloe was Queen Bee-- we all did-- didn’t spark my interest in learning other people’s. That would be so weird, knowing we’re all heroes but what? Not talking about it? Talking about yourself in third person while the other knows?” He laughed at the idea, “You already know some people’s though, don’t you?”

He nodded hesitantly, “I mean, yeah, Chloe, but she’s  _ gone _ gone, and I was there when Ladybug gave Carapace and Rena and Vi--” wait,  _ how _ would Chat know him? “You know, just a few of them.”

“You don’t know me, I hope.” he joked.

“I haven’t actively been finding out. I was always curious about Ladybug, but you can tell, right? Things have been weird.” King Monkey shrugged in agreement, “But there’s definitely some magic in the miraculous that doesn't allow us to recognize people. The people who I know, I  _ guess _ I could see them as their hero alter egos, but…I think it’s a lot more confusing than my brain can process.”

“Well that’s not a lot, so probably.” his mouth opened in offense as the other smiled, “I’m kidding, Chat. You’re pretty-- well, pretty, I guess. But if you really want to find out other’s identities, you’ll likely have to notice their behaviors and actions more than their appearance?”

Chat shook his head, “I suppose, but from who I know, they act pretty different as humans than as heroes.”

“You know the Ladyblog, right?”

Oh god, “Yes?”

“Girl who runs it is super nice.” Yeah, and also Rena Rouge, “If you want any sort of confirmation regarding who Ladybug’s identity is, you could probably ask her. Like, if you have a hunch and need just a little bit more evidence, y’know?”

He didn’t want to bug Alya or even put into the air the suspicion he had. She was a good friend, but definitely unable to keep it quiet. Even as Adrien, it had been a good minute since he even saw her outside of class. He looked back to the heroes, laughing at something Carapace had said; he was standing close to Rena, looking at her when she smiled. Ryuko covered her mouth and Viperion was definitely watching Ladybug. No. That really didn’t feel real. “I think I need to go.”

\---

“Plagg Plagg Plagg. What the  _ fuck _ .”

His kwami hung by watching as he paced his room, hands tangled in his hair, pulling slightly as he tried to make sense of the information. “Yeah.” he said, knowing he would definitely need a minute before he added anything else to his realization.

“I--  _ I told _ \-- Marinette is Ladybug. And  _ I-- _ encouraged so hard-- to date Luka--- but--” he groaned, stopping abruptly, “I was upset she chose someone else but it was! Plagg, this is all my fault. I mean, I’m glad they’re both happy-- but I did that!” he looked at him in disbelief, “I didn’t make the connection soon enough and I-- god,  _ fuck _ .”

Plagg sighed, hoving a good distance from him, “Kid, listen. Yeah, you fucked up.” the blond stared at him, waiting for a further explanation, which did not come.

“Ahhhhh! I’m just! God,  _ fuck _ . I was in love with Ladybug and it was Mari this whole time? Why didn’t I see this sooner? Like,  _ months _ ago. She’s such a great friend and if I just knew--”

“Okay, okay. So I’ve known for a  _ while _ and I don’t know what you want to hear me say, but if you really loved Ladybug, but only saw Marinette as a friend, what do you think that would suddenly change? What if she knew your identity-- she doesn’t, last I spoke to Sugarcube, and only liked you as Adrien, not as Chat? This isn’t rhetorical, by the way.” Adrien sighed, “Doesn’t that just feel shitty? I only like you as your superhero persona?”

The blond stared at his kwami, not understanding the point he was trying to make, “What.”

He folded his arms, “I’m just saying, I don’t understand you humans not liking people regardless of how they are. Wouldn’t you rather be with someone who likes you as Chat and as Adrien? You were the one who said you feel more free and you as Chat Noir?” he didn’t deny it, “I’ve watched you for a year, nearly, and you alone is a lot more like you as a hero than you in public or at school-- if she’s in love with pretty boy you but not dumb leather cat-suit you, I would argue she’s not actually in love with you. And the same goes for you to her.”

“I’m sorry, are you trying to convince me to give up on Marinette?”

“Yes.” he said blatantly, “Kid. Go have fun with Kagami, find someone new. If you always and only saw her as your friend, keep it that way, don’t change your mind because you found out she’s the same person you  _ were _ \-- note the past tense _ \-- _ in love with.”

Adrien bit his lip, thinking, “Did not see this coming. You’re always one to tell me to  _ do _ something, but now you’re telling me to...give up?”

“Marinette is happy with Luka, is she not?” he nodded hesitantly, “And you’re happy with Kagami.” he watched him, not reacting, “Oof, okay. This is why I didn’t want to be brought up in this mess; humans are insane. You just want everyone to be happy, right? What would make you happy?”

“A second chance, I suppose.”

“Shame you got stuck with me and not Sass, huh.” Plagg flew closer to his master, who looked back to his phone with the Ladyblog open. “Maybe taking a break from it all would be the best. Just I dunno what you normally do--”

The blond looked at him as he sat down on his bed, “Plagg, I could literally write a whole essay on what you do every day.”

“But you do so much more. God, you’re always doing something. Don’t you ever just want to sit around and do nothing for hours?” 

“That would be nice.” he thought for a moment, “But not really possible with my life. A goal for a future me, I suppose.” he sighed, closing out of the site, as he leaned back on his bed, “I need some time to think about this...everything.”

Plagg nodded, settling next to him on the bed, “You know, camembert wouldn't make you feel this way.”

He exhaled a laugh, looking at his kwami, “Thanks, Plagg.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm just gonna post when I feel like it? we'll see how everything goes 
> 
> (happy 90,000 words @ me)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> seventh wheeling is uhhhh less than ideal, i'd say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's still not monday  
> not to tell you how to live your life, but beginning with this chapter, nearly every single one following is or has a reference to a Fun. song and honestly it's hilarious, and i strongly recommend listening to all their albums immediately. I almost called this fic 'some nights' like their second album. but too late for that, huh.
> 
> warnings:n/a

August -1-

“Yeah, absolutely. I get it.” Adrien bit his lip, listening to Kagami speak, “Don’t worry about it.” he smiled although she couldn’t even see, “Have fun, I suppose.” he laughed slightly, “You too. Bye.” he sighed, hanging up his phone as he turned back to his friends, all at various stages of covering their eavesdropping.

“Was that Kagami?” Alya asked, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, pocketing his phone. “I should probably head out, seeing as I don’t want to...seventh wheel this--”

“No--”

“No, dude--”

“You’re already here.” Rose said as the two boys who objected looked at each other, glad they were on the same page, “I think it would be weird if you left. Once we start the movie, you’ll hardly notice how alone you are.”

Adrien nodded as Nino laughed, “Thanks, Rose. Absolutely compelling.”

“I mean I’m not one to oppose.” 

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” Marinette said, intentionally avoiding the girl next to her.

Alya looked to her friend, “Marinette, may I have a word with you? In the...Nino’s room.” she hesitantly stood from where she sat on the couch with Luka’s left arm over her shoulder, “Rose, Juleka, either, both, neither, don’t care-- I would appreciate at least one of you--”

The two girls looked at each other, holding up their hand for a game of rock/paper/scissors, “Loser goes?” Juleka asked as the other nodded.

The other five people watched, oddly entertained as Rose threw up scissors, and Juleka rock, “Aw darn.” Rose said, standing up to follow the other two girls down the hall.

“Rose, you didn’t need to--” they heard Marinette begin to say, door closing behind her.

Nino looked at his friend still standing by the door, “Adrien, dude, come, sit down, you’re gonna stay.” he gestured back to the chair he was sitting in prior to taking the phone call, across from the seat Rose had been sharing with Juleka, Nino right near him on the couch, and the final couple on the far end. “If you get lonely I wouldn’t mind cuddling with you. I’m not gonna offer up anyone else, but they seem nice,” he joked as Juleka shook her head and Luka shrugged, unoffended by the idea.

“Thanks?” he smiled, walking over to the seat, “It’s fine, I’m more than used to doing things alone, I can handle one movie.”

“Stay strong.” Juleka offered, deadpan before glancing at him, smiling.

“So what’s up with Kagami?” Luka asked, crossing his arms as his sister picked up her phone, “Marinette mentioned her earlier, but didn’t want to say much.”

“Her grandfather has been sick for a while and they can’t really decide how they want to care for him, but she’s going out to Bordeaux this weekend to visit.” he shrugged, tucking his feet under as he sat down, “Hence her not being here.”

Juleka glanced up, “What’s your deal with her thought? Last I heard she kissed you, but the media didn’t seem to blow up so I’m supposing it never became official.”

Adrien bit his lip, “We’re..hanging out. She’s my friend and I like spending time with her, but I don’t know, it’s nothing really. I wouldn’t put the girl I’m dating through coming out with me until I know it’s going to be serious. That’s the biggest downside of being with me, I suppose.”

“If that’s the biggest, count me in.” Nino joked.

“But you two are...dating?”

“I think so. Technically.”

“How do you  _ not  _ know--”

“Okay, okay--” Juleka cut her brother off, “Step down, Mr. Hopeless Romantic.” he shook his head at that, “Sometimes it’s not clear, and sometimes people are figuring their emotions out at different speeds,” she looked at the blond, “Don’t listen to him. He’s the  _ biggest  _ sap in the world and falls in love at the drop of a hat.”

Luka clicked his tongue, “Alright, Jules, got me. But remind me, how long were you and Rose almost dating before one of you said something? Or you kissed? Which even came first?”

She shrugged, unoffended by his attempted attack. Adrien found it entertaining, her relationship with her brother. He didn’t know the Couffaines before the previous school year, but he was really only used to the more timid side of Juleka, only pushed aside when interacting with her brother at band practice. When he’d asked Nino about this, he laughed, ‘Siblings’ll do that to ya.’ They clearly loved each other, but found great entertainment in poking fun, “First, you  _ know  _ the story, but for you two,” she gestured to the others, “We got closer until one day we just knew. I thought we were just really good friends. There’s nothing wrong with taking your sweet time, some people fall in love that way. Let him live.”

“Okay, Adrien, trying to help here,” the blond looked at him, “So she kissed you, you two have gone on several dates-- what are you even confused about?”

He shrugged, biting his lip, “Why is this the topic of conversation.”

Nino looked between the three of them, clearly aware of his friend’s discomfort on the subject, “Hey Luka, how’s it going with Marinette?”

Juleka nodded, “Yeah, Luka, how  _ is _ it going with Marinette?”

The older boy laughed under his breath, “Alright, I get it. Sorry, you don’t need to talk if you don’t want to.” he looked at the blond, who was watching right back. He hesitated, as if forgetting what he was going to say before clearing his throat and looking away, “A relationship is between two people, and you don’t need to justify it.”

He didn’t look away, still studying him for a moment before smiling, “Thanks Luka.”

The four of them collectively looked to their phones, unsure how to fill the silence that had settled around them, “What are those girls even talking about?” Juleka asked, “You think if we start the movie they’ll come out?”

“I can go get them--” Adrien offered.

“No-- that’s not the best idea.” Nino leaned forward, nearly ready to stop him if he continued, “I’ll go see, dude.” he looked at the siblings, who exchanged glances with each other. He stood as Luka looked back to Adrien shrugging.

The door opened right as he got to it, Rose emerging first, “Hi there, Nino.” he smiled as Marinette followed close behind, gesturing to her friend still in his room, indicating she wanted to see him.

The two girls returned, joining their respective Couffaine’s. Rose eagerly wrapped her arms around Juleka, who smiled at her enthusiasm, shifting so they could both sit comfortably. Marinette sat back down next to Luka, whose arm snaked around her waist to pull her closer. Realizing he was still watching, Adrien looked away quickly down to his hands, before glancing down the hallway to see if the others were joining.

“I’m glad you’re staying, Adrien,” Marinette smiled, pulling his attention back to the couple.

He smiled politely at the two, “Yeah, I’m already here. I’m not going to be able to hang much once school starts again.” he stood up.

“Oh hey, I’m sorry your father won’t let you stay in Kitty Section. It’s gonna kinda suck without you,” Luka said as the other couple’s mouths opened in offense, “I dunno who we’re going to find to replace you. I doubt we will.”

He felt something he couldn’t quite explain, but the older boy seemed sincere in his words, so he smiled again. Mildly uncomfortable, he offered finger guns before excusing himself to the bathroom, pausing in the doorway as his friend’s hushed voices caught his ear, “It’s hardly fair, Alya.”

“I just want Marinette to be comfortable and happy. It’s like she’s  _ almost _ completely moved on from him, but it’s still very clear something just doesn’t sit right when he’s here.”

He couldn't’ see them, but knew his friend well enough he was likely shaking his head, “So what are you proposing? Just exiling him so Marinette can work it out with her boyfriend? He’s my  _ best  _ friend.”

“I’m just suggesting maybe for a bit just the four of us? Just like, September. You two can still hang, I’m not trying to control your life like that Nino, I know he’s your best friend, but Marinette is  _ my  _ best friend.”

He sighed, trying to keep quiet, “It just doesn't seem right-- Adrien never had those feelings for her, it was always Mari going after him. If it was the other way around we’d be telling him off for not taking a hint--”

“Okay, but he’s just dumb and completely oblivious to his feelings--”

Adrien felt his breathing catch, calmly closing the door behind him, as he turned to look in the mirror as his kwami appeared, “Plagg, I’m not--”

He shook his head, “Listen kid. All you humans are dumb in one way or another, but I stand by what I told you. Besides, you know you better than anyone else.” he looked at him through the mirror, “You really don’t do well with this whole ‘socializing’ business, huh. Kinda shows how you’re new to this,” he pouted, opening his mouth to defend himself before his kwami continued, “Maybe you should take some time to yourself. We could just hang and try some new cheeses. There are so many you need to try.”

The blond exhaled a laugh, thankful of his distraction, “That sounds fun. Can we avoid the stinky cheeses?”

“The  _ best _ ones? No way.”

Amused, he rolled his eyes, running the cold water to feel the temperature difference on his hands, splashing it on his face, “I’m not being rude if I leave, right?”

“Humans always want what they don’t have.” Plagg folded his arms.

“Deep.” he said sarcastically, drying his face on the towel before pulling out his phone, “I mean, I want to act so this is basically practice for that--”

“You’re acting more often than you’re not.”

He hesitated, looking at him before shaking his head, “We’ll dissect that whole statement at a later point in time--” Plagg shrugged, unoffended. He exhaled, opening the door, phone in his hand as he headed back down the hall. 

Alya and Nino had resettled back on the couch, Nino messing with his controller to start the movie, “Hey dude, we’re just about to--”

“Hey, sorry, my father just called and told me I need to get home like now--” he gestured to his phone, watching his friend’s face drop, making him feel immediately guilty, “Sorry, I have a shoot in the morning, and he thought if I was with Kagami-- but since she’s not here--” he glanced at Marinette, whose face was flushed, looking at him before glancing away.

“That sucks. Guess I’ll see you in class?” Rose asked as her girlfriend nodded in agreement.

Alya was looking at her friend, “There’s always next time.”

Wow, bold. Luka pouted, “Sorry, I hope we have the chance to hang out later, you’re a fun kid.”

“Oh so you can harass me over my understanding of love some more?” he quipped back as Juleka laughed, her brother offering a shrug, but not denying it. The blond offered an uncomfortable smile to the group before gesturing to the door, “See you all later? Sorry again, and thanks for the invite--”

“Hey, I’ll message you dude, don’t you worry about it.”

“Could you turn off the main light?” Alya asked as she leaned against her boyfriend.

Adrien smiled at his friend, genuinely feeling bad just by Nino’s reaction alone. “Yeah,” he hit the switch, near darkness blanketing the room, the light in the corner still on, “Do you want this one still on?” he looked back over, everyone looking to the screen, except Luka, who was watching him. “Do you care?”

“Yeah, just leave the light on when you go.”

There was something up with him-- something he really couldn’t recognize, something he wasn’t used to shaking off, but something he wished he could just shake off. The older boy’s gaze lingered a moment longer as he opened the door, offering him a soft smile before joining all the others watching the screen. Adrien shut the door behind him, feeling his face flushed,  _ what _ . Plagg appeared as he started down the stairs, “What’s up with you now? Aren’t you excited for cheese?”

He shook his head, “I guess I feel bad for lying. Nino’s my best friend, and they’re all my friends and I just lied to them so easily.”

His kwami rolled his eyes, “You’re lying more often than you’re not, kid.”

“Doesn’t make it more morally right,” he hissed back before sighing, “I don’t know. Something is weird. I do need to just do nothing for a while. I hope no akuma attacks happen soon, I couldn’t stand seeing everyone pretending not to know things right now.” he looked at his kwami, “Please don’t say something about cheese right now.”

Plagg shrugged, “Then I’ve got nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i too relate to Adrien in the sense of i don't know what the fUck is going on  
> thanks for reading, i want to say, it's weird, this has been in my head since march and now people are in my head with me???? there's still so much to happen (we're in august -1- and i have it planned all the way through may -5- so hold tight, yo.)
> 
> tldr:  
> some friends hang out, someone's a seventh wheel, leaves to think and eat cheese with an ageless black cat who caused the death of the dinosaurs


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i really don't know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun.? Fun.!
> 
> hey. thanks for reading this. i swear i've got some good good lukadrien content building up.

October -1-

“No, it’s all good. Thanks for the invite though. See you on Monday, I guess.” he paused, listening to his friend’s words, “Have fun. Bye.”

Plagg watched Adrien as he set his phone beside him, stretching his arms over his head, “Why did you do that?”

He shrugged, setting his hands back on the keys, “They don’t want me to be there.”

“Okay, but you  _ want _ to be there.” he argued back.

“Okay, but I’d rather have my friends having fun, even if it means I’m not there.” he played a short piece, “Plus I’m actually in a mood to play so I want to take advantage of it.” he looked at his kwami, who was definitely glaring at him, “ _ What. _ ”

“I think you should go.” Adrien shook his head, “Kid, it’s better to regret doing something than to regret  _ not doing _ something. I think you understand that well.”

He groaned, “Yeah, I  _ guess _ , but this is just a band practice for a band I’m no longer in. So what layer of your logic does that fall under? I heard what Alya said to Nino, so it’s not just me being dumb and oblivious, everyone’s two favorite terms to describe me.”

“Oh, so you’re pouting.”

“I’m not  _ pouting _ .” 

“Call it what you want, you’re putting yourself through this suffering. They  _ asked you _ to come. You know if they didn’t want you there, they wouldn’t have asked you. They’re not being polite for the sake of it all, and this past month was witness to that.”

Adrien stared at his kwami, shaking his head, hitting a few notes on the piano, “For someone who’s confused and frustrated with humans you seem to have a lot to comment on them.”

\---

“Marinette, could I have a word with you?”

She nodded, standing up from the couch, where she was sitting next to Luka, his arm loosely around her waist. He was listening to whatever Nino was talking about, glancing up when she moved, “I’ll be right back.” she said, pressing her dress down as she followed Alya off the boat, “Is something wrong?”

Once a safe distance away, she turned to face her friend, “Yeah, what the  _ fuck  _ is going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Girl.  _ Girl _ . You are so out of it you can’t see. Let’s give a little recap of the last month: you were doing pretty okay, and you agreed to cut a certain blond boy out of your life. Then suddenly you were great, so content, so happy, getting good sleep. But these past few times we invited him, he’s not even here, but the potential alone has you acting weird again. And it’s been a very fast downward spiral for you. He’s not even at this party because he knows he makes you uncomfortable but honestly? You were doing better being distracted by him, and Luka doesn’t deserve that.”

Marinette laughed, “Alya, we’re  _ fine _ . It also wasn’t just me who seemed distracted when ‘a certain blond boy’ would hang with us.”

“Oh I get that.” she smiled, folding her arms, “Sometimes Nino really forgets I’m there if it’s the three of us. Unless,” she pouted, “Just my own curiosity asking, but Luka’s not straight, right? He mentioned earlier--”

Her eyebrows furrowed together, “Straight enough to be dating me.”

“ _ Girl. _ ”

“Alya, this is not the time to be speculating on my boyfriend’s sexuality.”

She threw her hands up, “Sorry, sorry. Just reminded me of something I wanted to bring up again.. I’ll just ask him myself.” she looked back at the boat, “Hang on, so is there anything up? Are you two doing okay? He’s not pressuring you into things you’re not ready for-- he is a bit older--”

“No, no, no. Alya we are fine. He’s super sweet and I like him a lot. It’s just...kinda weird right now. But we’re fine.”

Her friend frowned, “You’re coming up on your six months, are you not? I get you’re busy and you two don’t get a lot of time together because of school and everything, but most people I’ve witnessed are beyond the ‘kinda weird’ stage at this point. Are you sure this doesn’t have anything to do with Adrien? You really 180’d on him, but I don’t want to--”

“We’re  _ fine _ . I just need more time.”

“Time for  _ what _ .”

“To feel more comfortable?”

Alya opened her mouth to respond, but instead sighed, “Okay, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You just don’t really ever talk about him, or the two of you like, ever. I’m always here for you, girl.” she pulled her friend into a hug.

Marinette hesitantly hugged her back, smiling weakly. She felt bad not being entirely honest with her friend. Something didn’t feel entirely right in her relationship; Luka was amazing and patient, but it wasn’t him. It wasn’t how she still felt about Adrien, either. It was maybe her? She had the right things, or so she thought, so she should be happy. It was like something was missing. But she didn’t know what, and Luka was the only one who knew all her struggles and how hard it was to balance everything, so he was good for now.

\----

Walking back on the boat, the pair approached the boys, who were mesmerized by whatever they were watching on Nino’s phone. Marinette sat back down next to Luka, who barely glanced up from the video, which she could see was an instagram post Adrien made. He was playing a very familiar sounding song, wearing a black shirt with a multicolored pocket and cuffed sleeves, eyes closed as he truly felt the music. She had unfollowed both his public and private accounts, but even before he’d been posting-- private, of course- piano covers of various popular songs. It seemed he was continuing this, he mentioned it being a fun break from the classical songs he was expected to know, and helped his understanding of song composition. Based on Nino’s level of excitement, it was new.

As the song ended, Luka nodded, “Fuck.”

“Yeah, he just picks a song and cranks it out in an afternoon like it’s nothing.” he smiled as Alya sat next to him on the chair.

“That’s impressive. It super sucks he had to quit the band. It was a lot of fun playing with him, but it’s nice to see he’s still enjoying music.” he leaned back, offering Marinette his hand, “But let’s take a moment, Fun.? Haven’t heard that name in _years_.”

She took it slowly, glancing at Alya, who watched, trying to keep a straight face, but clearly having an opinion on the action, “Nah, Adrien  _ loves _ them, and the main guy-- fuck, don’t let him know I forgot his name. He’s done loads of their stuff. Wild he  _ just  _ got to their popular songs.”

Luka clicked his tongue, “Shame I don’t have an instagram.”

“I just have a private one that’s mostly shit-posting. Babe, what do you call it--”

Alya laughed, rolling her eyes, “A finsta? It’s great because only a few people follow and can see so I can post whatever I want without worrying if my sis were to see.”

He nodded, “Huh. I just never got around to social media.”

“It’s fine, Marinette’s got more than enough to make up for it.”

“Wh--” her face turned red, “I’ve got to stay up to date on the fashion world, and the real world, and you guys--”

Her friend shook her head, amused, “I hear ya girl. Just some teasing. Hey Luka--” he looked away from his girlfriend to her, “Kinda feels a bit leap-y, but off what you mentioned earlier, how straight are you?”

“ _ Alya-- _ ” Marinette snapped, her face still red.

Nino looked at her, a bit exhausted, “Babe, you’re literally a journalist reporter, you  _ know _ how important wording questions can be.”

But luckily, Luka laughed, “I mean, he’s right, but also, what? A percentage? Nah. You were correct as my ex was, in fact, an ex-boyfriend, but y’know.” he shrugged, “I’m not one to label. I like people, I would say.”

“Bang.” Alya said, imitating a mic drop (poorly), “I feel that. I really do. I also feel like I have some form of gay-dar that’s towards multi-gendered attraction. People who recognize people are cute. I get it. I’ve got it.” she pointed a thumb towards herself as Luka laughed under his breath.

“Wow my girlfriend is so talented?” Nino asked, skeptical.

“Not the term I would use, but I appreciate the support.” she smiled, kissing his cheek.

\----

Adrien sighed, hitting the keys where his hands were resting, creating a mess of sound, causing his kwami to be startled awake, “Sorry Plagg.” he said, noticing as he grabbed his phone from it’s spot to stop his recording.

“And to think you were just playing so nicely.” he shook his head, flying over to hover by the other, “What’s your problem?”

He shrugged, tapping the notification for Nino’s comment to his last cover,  _ that’s my best friend!  _ “You know what,” he sighed as his phone dinged again, another notification, a text from his friend  _ dude you’re fucking amazing,  _ he laughed as it dinged another time,  _ Luka’s genuinely impressed it’s hysterical,  _ Adrien looked at his kwami, reading over his shoulder, “I really don’t know.”

\------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want memes and text posts and only original miraculous content (also a tag for this fic that's just sappy reblogs for later chapters and lukadrien trash) follow my tumblr @rainbow-arrow
> 
> the guy Nino couldn't remember is Nate Ruess and he has a solo album called Grand Romantic and it's mentioned a good bit throughout, mostly in later chapters.
> 
> chapter five will be out once I uhhhh...actually really soon? it's short yo, i might just combine it with the next one but there's another like two month time leap, we'll see. it's 3am here and uhhhh nap time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some things are considered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy not monday the new york episode is going to ~kill~ me

November -1-

“Alright, I’ve gotta get to class and talk to Alix before it starts. See ya.” Nino waved as he left Alya and Adrien to their conversation about the latest horror movies they wanted to see.

“Bye babe, see you later!” Alya called as Marinette approached quickly, “Hey girl, how’s it going?”

She looked a little uneasy, jumpy maybe. Adrien smiled at her, which she ignored, looking down at her hands, “Is it weird that Luka told me he’s always had a crush on Chat Noir?”

Adrien attempted his best at covering his laughter, but Alya did not. Marinette looked almost offended, and her friend attempted to collect herself, “Girl, I would worry more if he  _ didn’t  _ appreciate Chat Noir.”

“But he’s straight--”

“Not to speculate on others' sexualities, but first, hon, Luka isn’t straight, we  _ already _ discussed this, it really shouldn’t matter. But I also honestly doubt Chat Noir is either.” she looked between the two as they shared a look of sheer confusion, Adrien even offering a dash of panic, “But that’s a tale for another time. But it shouldn’t matter! It’s dumb crush on a superhero, Mari, it’s not like it would ever happen.”

Marinette sighed, realizing this conversation would’ve been better to have as Ladybug to her friends, and Adrien understood that, “I know I shouldn’t worry but it’s come up for like, the third time and I don’t know why it gets to me.”

Adrien could think of like eight reasons, but none that she understood, “You could tell him, but if it’s the fact he’s had a crush on a boy that’s upsetting, it’s a little biphobic.” she looked at him, nodding hesitantly, “I know Nino and I have been dating longer and we’re much more...open, I’d say, but he knows it’s a fact that I’m major crushing on Ladybug. And Nino’s got his own crushes,” he could’ve sworn she looked back to him for a quick second, “But tell him if you’re not cool with it.”

The blond looked down at his hands, trying to give the two girls a bit of privacy to their conversation, as he wasn’t acknowledged so he didn’t feel right to be included. It was an odd change, someone having an interest in his hero self more than his pretty model self, and he wasn’t offended by it either. It had been a few months since he’d seen the other outside of battle, but there was something about her boyfriend that kinda made him feel...off. He really couldn’t find the words, and even couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad feeling, but found it much easier to ignore it as heroes. Twisting his miraculous, he couldn’t help but wonder how that conversation even went down, who brought it up, Marinette’s initial reaction, and the fact it was brought up multiple times. He caught a glance at her, eyebrows furrowed together, watching her friend intently as she attempted to rattle off more reason for her to not overreact.

He really wished things were normal again, and the four of them, and Luka, could hang out again. After the weird exile in September, even after they started inviting him again, he continued to decline their offers. Plagg called him out every time and he wasn’t  _ wrong _ , he just chose to give them space to figure themselves out before he opted back in. He spent most of his life just being in the way and it was far from his favorite way to exist, so it was best to just...leave. Nino eventually got sick of his excuses and quite forcefully started tricking him back to hanging out, just the two of them, Alya eventually joining them, getting back into their weekly horror movie watching sessions.

She sighed, pulling his attention back to the present, “You’re right. I don’t know why it’s so upsetting to me.” she looked down at her phone again before typing quickly, “I’ll talk to you later, Alya, thanks.” and with that, she walked away.

Alya stretched her arms over her head, “Now, you wouldn’t be upset if the person you were dating had a crush on Chat Noir, would you?”

He laughed a little at the predicament, of course Marinette didn’t want to hear about how her current boy has had a thing for the boy she rejected for over a year. How he saw something she didn’t. How he  _ sees _ something she doesn’t. What a grand use of irony, “Nah, he’s not my favorite, but I’m really not one to judge.” 

She looked like she wanted to ask a question, but was unsure how to ask, and a little unsure if she really wanted the answer. She pulled out her phone to check the time, “Who’s the hero who you do like then?”

“Well I am a big fan of Rena Rouge, she’s massively underrated.” he watched as she tried hard to hide her smile, not used to getting unprompted attention as a b-group hero, “Don’t get me wrong, Chat Noir and Ladybug are chill, just a bit overhyped.”

Alya started walking towards the room as he followed, “Ladybug does so much, so I get that. It just really feels like sometimes Chat Noir could be doing… I dunno, more? Sometimes it just feels like the pretty boy in leather, flirting with everyone.”

Uhm, ow? Adrien definitely had to shake that off, “I think in time he will. Do you not think he could take over if something were to happen to Ladybug?”

“I suppose time will tell.”

“That sounded quite threatening, Alya.” they both laughed a little, her shaking her head as he shoved his hands in his pockets, “They’re a team, they probably have plans for stuff like that.” they didn’t. “But that’s it? No favorite b- or c-group heroes?”

She smiled, thinking about her co-heroes, “King Monkey isn’t too bad. You got your own hero in mind, Agreste?”

He rolled his eyes at the use of his last name, a true sign of pure teasing. He knew she was Rena, that Mari was Ladybug, Nino was Carapace, and nearly every hero’s true identity, mostly by accident, but a complete secret. There was a c-group hero who had recently been spending more time with the original four he wouldn’t mind being better friends with, which had been proving to be harder than anticipated, “I’d like to see more of Viperion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i too would like to see more of Viperion.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> something is really   
> (something's not right)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep.

December -1-

“Hey Marinette, I was wondering if you wanted to join us playing video games tonight?”

It was December, a few months into her relationship with Luka, “Who?” she asked, pretending to not be interested as she packed her notebooks into her bag at the end of class.

“It’s me, Alya and Nino?”

“You’re going to be there?

He was confused, he did ask her, did he not?

She didn’t expect an answer, “I can’t. Hanging out with Luka, why don’t you ask Kagami to join you?”

With that she promptly left the classroom, causing Adrien to turn to his two friends who witnessed the interaction, “She’s not angry with me, is she?”

Nino shrugged as Alya sighed, “Honestly, a while back she wanted a little break from you, but recently I don’t know what’s been up with her, everytime I ask she’s kinda cold and changes the subject to just about anything else. Once she made an effort to comment on the sidewalk instead of answering.”

“Literally every time I’ve asked if she wants to do something with me she brings up Luka or Kagami, and this time, both?” Adrien sighed, picking up his bag, “I really miss hanging out with her.” he paused, “And Luka. I haven’t seen them together in  _ months _ .”

Alya pouted, exchanging a glance with her boyfriend before as she headed out of the room, the boys following, “As much as I don’t like sneaking around, maybe you should reach out to Luka and see what’s up. You’re on good terms with him, right?”

“Are you two not?”

“No, I am--”

“Sending Alya isn’t the best idea, think about it; she gets quite reporter-y when looking for an answer. I don’t think I’ve said more than half a conversation with him. Plus,” Nino explained, as Alya nodded in agreement, aware of her own faults, “You’re sweet and he likes you. He’ll probably tell you everything.”

Adrien nodded, it was weird how Carapace and Viperion got along so well while fighting, but were hardly on talking terms in the real world. “I mean okay? I haven’t seen him since August, but I guess I can find him and talk to him between the  _ everything else _ going on.”

\-----

Adrien had snuck out to go on a walk, enjoying one of the warmer days before the inevitability of winter, listening to music and the calm morning in Paris. He noticed Luka right as he noticed him, waving as he turned his bike to greet his friend, Adrien lowering his headphones to around his neck as he approached.

“Hey Adrien. Feels like forever since I’ve seen you.” he stayed straddling his bike as he leaned forward on the handlebars while talking.

“Yeah it really has,” The last time was that impromptu quad date night back in August, he’d really been lying low since then. Seeing his face without his mask really resparked something in him he couldn’t quite figure out still; the months in hibernation not changing it much. He was very much not expecting to run into him, but made it as good a time as any to bring her up, “How’s everything been going?”

He nodded, “Things are quite alright, school’s hitting hard, but always time to make new music, you know, working, just hanging out. Anything new with you?”

“Nah,” he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking at the ground, “Listen, I’m glad I ran into you, I’ve been kinda worried about Marinette.”

This surprised him, “Marinette? Why?”

“She’s been really stand-offish and quite...I don’t want to say, but cold and really rude? Mostly just to me, but definitely still present when talking to Alya and others too. I can’t even have a conversation with her, and she always denies she’s acting different to Alya. We were wondering if you knew or noticed anything up with her?”

He was blown away, “I--she’s been fine around me….” his eyebrows furrowed together, deep in analysis, “I can always ask what’s up.”

“Well if you do, it’s probably best to not mention I was the one who brought it up,” he forced a laugh, kicking the ground, “Seeing as she’s very much not a fan of me right now.”

Luka was still racking his brain for a clue, “I don’t get that. You’re such an amazing person and a great friend. I don’t mean to accuse, but could you have possibly done something?”

He’d already considered every single interaction they had in the recent months, noticing the initial change when they started dating. When Ladybug addressed Chat, really, but even then she was hanging with Alya and Nino, it was even fine for Adrien to be present in that group or larger. Then when they started inviting him again, he felt uncomfortable, so quickly started opting out again, but it was something quite recent, the past few weeks that made it worse, “No, well I mean  _ yeah _ , I could have, but I don’t know. Maybe I did...I can’t figure that out.”

“Shit. Well. I guess I could ask her about it, she’s really been acting completely normal, well you know Marinette, as normal as she can be.” with that, he smiled and stood up, placing a foot on the pedal, “Oh, wait- can I get your number? I don’t think we’ve ever--”

“Oh yeah,” he took his phone out, “Good idea.”

Luka smiled, typing his number in, “You probably get this a lot.”

He shook his head, “Many ask, but few receive.”

“So should I consider myself lucky?” he joked, holding it out to him.

Adrien laughed under his breath, looking at the older boy, “If you want to be.” he reached for his phone, hesitating as the other didn’t let go immediately, “Well it was nice to see you. Maybe we could hang out sometime?”

He watched him another moment before dropping his hand, “Oh, yeah.” he cleared his throat, looking down at his foot on the pedal, “Yeah, that would be fun. I’d love to work on some music with you, since you’re not able to be in the band and all.” he shrugged, “But yeah, hit me up whenever, I’m always down to jam with you.”

The blond smiled politely, pocketing his phone as he turned,“Will do.” He waved, pulling his headphones back to his head, “Bye~” he heard him say something, prompting him to turn, lowering them back down, “What?”

Luka shook his head, “Nah, it’s nothing. Just--” he looked at him, “No, it’s not important.”

Adrien shrugged, “If you say so, see ya around, Luka.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit 100k typed! that's INSANE i officially have a novel. wack.  
> take that 8 years of nanowrimo, all I needed was a pandemic to double that.
> 
> (also also we've got some chloe content comin up I'm so hyped)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *insert relient k's who i am hates who i've been*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's?????? an episode?????? tonight?????

January -2-

Chloe opened the door, prompting Adrien to sigh, not finding it to be the most enjoyable way to spend his weekend afternoon. But, as he said, he was her friend. Even if he really couldn’t stand her most of the time. “What is it Chloe? What is so urgent and important that couldn’t be done over text?”

Something was different about her. She seemed more...timid, almost softer than the last time he saw her, which was before the winter holidays, making him wonder what had happened since then, “Thank you for coming and making time for me, please come in.”

Hesitating, as this was so out of character for her, he spoke softly, “What's wrong? Are you akumatized? I really don’t trust this.” 

“We can stand here if you’d prefer that," she offered, shrugging

He took one step inside, arms crossed, allowing her to close the door, “Here works.”

She nodded and took a breath, “Please help me be a better person.”

This caught him off guard, “ _ What. _ ”

“In the recent past I had to reflect on my past actions, and I realized I hurt a lot of people and no one liked me? I started to even not like myself, then even Sabrina left me. I mean the  _ teachers _ even celebrated when they thought I was leaving.”

“That was like. Really not cool.”

“You can say shitty, you know. But I kinda deserved it.” she sighed, “You’re my only friend left, and I can tell you’d rather not be here and I don’t blame you. But I think it means something that you’d still come. You’re  _ easily _ the best person I know and I really need your help.”

He pouted, slightly skeptical. “I mean,I’m always down for a redemption arc, but what would that require of me?”

She nodded, “I’ve been going to therapy these past few months- the whole Queen Bee incident really set me off in a spiral and they said my behavior, if I want to change has to be nearly entirely reconstructed. But no like, psychological help required. I've been working really hard these past few months, but it hasn't been that realistic to real life situations? So just some help, offering guidance maybe? Mostly allowing me to hang out with you and/or your friends so I can get some experience? It’s hard to build trust with people who won’t even look in my direction. They trust and love you so much, Adrien.”

“Okay. Sure. Fair warning, not really socializing much right now because, oh god, the whole Luka and Mari drama--” she looked confused, “Did you not?” He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. Now, on one hand, Chloe fucked up major time and was rude and didn’t really deserve his time, but on the dominant hand, she was right; he was her friend. And he actually… missed her? He had hopes for her to learn from her mistakes as she wasn’t like this when they were growing up, plus she actively chose to seek his help, of course no one was even looking near her direction these days, but she reached out to better herself. Going more on gut instinct than reason, he shook his head, deciding to give the girl another chance. “Fine. Let’s have an impromptu catch up session called ‘people are wild’” he walked towards one of the armchairs, sitting down in a huff, “What  _ do  _ you know?”

Amused, not only to have a friend again, but also to be included in the drama, she practically bounced over, “Just that Luka and Marinette have been dating since...May? That’s it. That’s when people exiled me from just about everywhere.”

He sighed, rubbing his face, “Okay so a big thing I remember from the years of knowing you is that your first problem is you react too fast, sometimes, nah, often before you’re given all the information. I do not, in any way wish to censor you and your thoughts, just take a moment, think, empathize, you know?”

She nodded, sitting adjacent to him on the couch, “Okay.”

“So just let me get this out. Anyway. Luka and Mari, 100% my fault. I encouraged them both to go after each other because I thought it would be the best. They make each other happy and also I could be friends with  _ both  _ of them. But they’re fine. They’re happy-- I think, I don’t ever see them, at least not together since August. Mari was already avoiding me for most of the summer and once school started it got  _ bad _ . I never got an answer as to why, I even reached out to Luka, who didn’t tell me much either,” he groaned, “And so, I’m mostly only hanging with Kagami because between life, Alya and Nino are only together when Mari’s there, so god forbid  _ I’m  _ there. But hey. Maybe they’ll break up soon and things will get back to some form of normal. Or- heck, that's mean, I don't necessarily _want_ them to break up, Marinette just needs to be normal again.” he stopped, turning to her, “You may react now.”

“This feels like a big ‘what the fuck’ type story.”

Adrien laughed, “I mean, it really does, huh.” he shrugged, “But I get it, everyone is off in their cute lil relationships doing cute couple-y things and here I am.”

“What about Kagami? What happened there?”

“Well, as mentioned, practically my only friend right now who is willing to hang out. And- well. We tried to be a couple for a hot second and it was not my thing. I love Kagami, don’t get me wrong, but not in the hand-holding, going-on-dates type of way.”

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, “Maybe you’re gay.”

“Okay, so that’s a huge leap to conclusions I super did not plan on getting into this afternoon,” he pouted, “Going back to the real conflict-- I just miss my friends.”

She shrugged, “Fine, sorry sorry, food for thought, I suppose,” he shook his head at the idea, “I mean, I guess the only aspect you can control is what you do. Seeing as you don’t want to be in a relationship, that solution is off the table--”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be in a relationship, it’s more that I don’t want to get into one as a solution. If I find someone and-- I want them to be my friend, firstmost. People go into friendships a lot less critical and a lot less people-pleasing. They view it as a lot lower of a risk than a romantic pursuit.” he explained, watching her for a reaction, and hope for understanding.

She nodded slowly, if processing his words, “Okay. Yeah, that’s fair, and really makes a lot of sense. Aw, Adrikins, it’s cute how much you value friendship.”

Laughing, he leaned back in the chair, “Thanks, I suppose.”

“But anyway, back to  _ my _ advice- continue living and loving the single life? First, we are  _ so fucking young _ , but most people love you, so hang out with them. You’ve got Kagami, and if this isn’t just a one-time thing, me too?”

He looked at her, a bit overwhelmed with the idea and the commitment, “Yeah, I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc  _ and  _ friendship. You hit both of my weaknesses.”

“I mean, there are others, right? The art kids are---hm.” she didn’t finish her thought, “God fuck, people really are pairing off, huh. Oh Alix would never, you’ve always got her.”

“Honest? She scares me a little.”

“Well that’s fair. She could easily take you down.” his mouth opened, offended, “She absolutely could, do not deny it.”

“Yeah, probably.” he accepted defeat easily.

Chloe smiled, shaking her head, “You’ll always have me and Kagami, who definitely still hates me, and likely will for a long time.”

“What about Juleka?”

“Well, her brother is  _ Luka _ , you know, the boy dating Marinette? You know, I would argue the root of your current dilemma? Also, she’s always with Rose, so unless you want to third wheel--”

“Wow, being outcast really has made you more observant, huh,” he joked as she rolled her eyes, “I guess you’re right. I tried talking to Luka directly with zero success. Maybe waiting this out is my best option at this point. Everything is calm now, and I don’ t want to stir up unnecessary problems. Guess I have...you.”

She sighed, “Adrien Maison Agreste--”

“You do know my second name is not--”

Holding up a finger to silence him, she continued, “I want to formally apologize for all the god-awful terrible things I have said and done in our many years of friendship. Now I can’t guarantee things will not slip up, but I will be trying my absolute best to prevent it. You clearly need a friend right now, and I would be the most honored to fill that role.”

He nodded, “You had me in the first half, not gonna lie. But fine. Yeah. Honestly, I kinda missed you? I didn’t miss how mean you got, so if we can keep that chill and in check, yeah.” he stood, opening his arms.

“You’re gonna make me stand up?”

“I like hugs, okay.” he took her hands, helping her onto her feet, embracing her in a hug, “Now this isn’t a ploy to make me fall in love with you, is it?”

She laughed, pulling back to wipe her eyes, “Don’t worry, I already tried that and it didn’t work.”

“That’s...reassuring, I suppose. I gotta run because I really didn’t think I would stand talking to you for this long, and my sneaking out techniques were quite...not the best, I’d say. But hey, let’s do this again. Next week? We’ll talk in class.” he smiled as he headed towards the door.

“Hey Adrien?” he stopped, looking back at her, “Thank you.”

“Yeah, no problem.” he laughed under his breath as he turned the doorknob, “But hey, maybe I’ll be the one to thank you, Chlo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so you know how there's like 'inktober' and 'OCtober' and different challenges to create content every day in october? what if I did that for this? like? do we have a preference for that or is the random 2-3 days better? if you have an opinion lemme know


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *insert fun.'s Why Am I The One*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have yET to decide if the new york episode fits into my story. like, it would work. but i uhhhh really hated it so i don't know if I wanna.

February -2-

“Kagami, we can slow down a bit. Maybe. Please?”

She was practically running to talk to Luka, to apologize for what had happened, regardless of it actually being her fault or not, “Adrien, if you can’t keep up, surely it’s not my problem. I did not invite you on this.”

“I wasn’t implying it was your problem, and uhhhh you did say you weren’t going unless I went with you. But a few minutes in this situation is not going to be that critical.”

Kagami slowed to look at him, a mix of guilt and regret filled her eyes, “I would just appreciate this being over already. I hate that this has even happened.”

He shrugged, “It is less than ideal, but it  _ did  _ happen, so we’re gonna address it. Marinette likely already told him. Gee I hope she did. Alya just told me they broke up, but not more than that.” this did not comfort her. He took her hand in his, still walking, “This is the best thing for us to do. Plus Luka is super chill and I’m here for you. And honest, it’s not your fault.”

She exhaled as they approached the river and the houseboat. “There is so much regret in me I might explode.”

“Well. Hey, let’s not do that.” He dropped her hand and made towards the entrance, with no one in the outside due to the winter weather. He messaged Luka, a minute passed before Juleka came down the stairs.

She waved hesitantly, “Hey you two….Luka?”

He nodded, “Yeah, Kagami would like to talk to him.” He gestured at her as he appeared from the downstairs, “Heyo Luka.”

The older boy was not looking great. Mostly like he had just woken up, but also like he hadn’t gotten much or any sleep prior. He was wearing a sweatshirt with some band logo on it and black joggers, “Heyo to you too, Adrien. Can I be of assistance?”

Kagami passed Adrien quickly to stop in front of the older boy, bowing, “Luka, I would appreciate your time to explain a mistake that happened.”

“O….kay.” he folded his arms, uncomfortable.

“Preferably alone.”

Luka nodded, “Right.” then looked at the other two, expecting them to leave.

Juleka rolled her eyes, but grabbed the blond’s arm to pull him back off the boat with her. They stood on the sidewalk not addressing each other for a few minutes before she ventured out to ask, “So what’s that about?”

He bit his lip, glancing back at the pair, unable to hear the words, Kagami’s back blocking his face, no luck there. “Well, Kagami feels terrible about what happened, really feeling it’s her fault they broke up.”

She clearly did not understand the logic, “Why would it be?”

“Well she didn’t know they were still together-- she assumed--why-- wait. Do you know why Mari broke up with him? Or what he said?”

Juleka groaned, not really wanting to talk about her brother in such a manner, “I mean, I don’t think Kagami was even brought up, I think it was a whole cliche, it’s not you, it’s me. I remember her saying sorry a lot, but that’s just Marinette to a level,” he shrugged, “But she was definitely crying when she left. Luka hasn’t said much since then. It’s only been a few days, but-- no, god, you’re not that close to my brother, I don’t know if this is something he’d even tell you-- not my place to speculate further.”

Adrien nodded slowly, “I don’t think he knew.”

“He did not.”

Kagami appeared next to Juleka, causing her to jump, “God, fuck.” she shook her head, “Knew what? What did you two do?”

“I’m gonna…Kagami, I’ll be right back,” Adrien said as he walked back onto the houseboat, leaving the two girls to likely stand in each other’s silence. Remember the last time he was there  _ months  _ ago, he went down the stairs to the room the two shared, where, as expected, he found Luka, laying on his bed. 

He glanced up, “God, fuck, what?”

“Hey, I’m sorry-- we thought Marinette would’ve told you--”

“Okay, but she didn’t. And I found out from-- fuck.  _ God _ .” he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, laughing, “And this whole time-- I thought I was going to lose her to  _ you _ , never expected your girlfriend--”

Adrien walked closer to him, not feeling it the most appropriate time to correct that Kagami was pretty far from his girlfriend, “I’m sorry. I never intended to be a threat. I was happy you two were happy. Or it seemed, at least. And I’m sorry Marinette did this to you, and that you found out this way.” he stopped a few feet from the bed as the older boy pushed himself to sitting.

“God, I’m just--  _ fuck _ .” he sighed, “Guess you played your cards right. You played dumb, let her be, and now you’ve got the girl. Congrats.”

The blond shook his head, “Luka, I’m not interested in dating Marinette, and I never have been, and if I did, I wouldn’t have told you to-- that’s really beyond the point right now. Do you want to talk? Or a hug? Both?”

Luka looked at him, “What is your deal?”

_ What the fuck did that even mean.  _ “I’m just trying my best, I guess?”

He exhaled a laugh, catching the other off guard, “How can you just not know these things? I thought you were chill. The whole stepping back, upping the friendship talk, plus you were just a fun person? You’re nearly too good to be true; the calm and collected, the cute and sweet, the musician,  _ fuck _ , you’re  _ literally _ a model. Wanting to remain mutual with everyone so no one is hurt and we can all be friends. The pretty model boy too pure to commit, doesn’t really know what to do in life if someone isn’t telling--”

“Luka, stop.” he shook his head, unfazed by his words, his own father had called him worse, his voice softened, “You don’t mean any of that, you’re just upset. I’m not your enemy, I never have been.” he sat down next to him on the bed.

The older boy sighed, almost frustrated with his emotions and that the other was so collected in his, “Right after you came to me with the concern, I asked her about it. She denied it for a bit, but she opened up--” he looked at him, “I’m not going to tell you, that’s too personal, not my place. But it wasn’t you. I think a part of me wished it was, so it would’ve at least been something I saw coming. It might have been originally, but our period of peace was way too short for you to be the only trouble. Her and Kagami getting together was just--  _ fuck. _ ” he put his face in his hands, “Why aren’t  _ you _ upset?”

Adrien shrugged, watching him, “Kagami and Mari are both my friends, and all I want is for the people I care about to be happy. Also, she’s not my girlfriend-- I didn’t correct you before-- but I dunno.” he looked at his hands, “I’m glad you two were happy for a while.”

“You’ve never gone through heartbreak, have you?”

Hm. Well. His heartbreak was definitely unique, to say the least, but he couldn’t get into that, “No.”

“Then you really have no idea what it’s like.”

“I suppose not.” he looked at him a moment, his eyes wet with tears, threatening to fall, “Do you want a hug?” Luka nodded, wrapping his arms around his neck as the blond’s arms made their way to his waist, “You’re allowed to be sad, Luka.”

His hold tightened as he felt his breath catch, “I really love her. I love her so much.”

“Yeah, I know you do. It’s her loss.” he said gently, noticing Plagg attempting to get his attention, ‘ _ What?’ _ he mouthed as his kwami shook his head, folding his arms, obvious disapproval.

The older boy sighed, pulling back to wipe his eyes, “She spent so much time talking about how amazing you were and all stopped abruptly and I was foolish to think she moved on. I was just  _ stupid _ for thinking nothing could go wrong. And yet, she's the one who moved on. ” he looked down at his hands, “And yet you’re the one who’s here.”

Adrien shrugged, “We didn’t hang out much, but I really do consider you my friend Luka.”

He shook his head, “Here you go again about friendship. Why do you feel the need to be friends with absolutely everyone? Why can’t you just accept that some people want more, and some want less? Why is this so hard for you?”

“You’re kinda mean when you’re sad.”

Luka looked at him, “You’re unreal.”

The blond pouted, standing up, “I’m sorry this all happened, this misunderstanding and the everything else that added up to it. You’re a strong person and I can tell when you love it’s all or nothing,” he shoved his hands in his pockets, “It’s okay to be sad.” he watched the other run his hands through his hair before looking up. The two watched each other for a moment, “My favorite band has a song called  _ It Gets Better _ , and it really does.”

“Okay, but is that a song about falling in love with a girl and waiting it out for her to be ready and support her to be happy for a few months just to find out she was never as emotionally invested as you and likely never will be?” Adrien watched him, as if considering if there was a song he knew that was relatable to that situation, “Or just in general about getting dumped on Valentine's Day?”

“Well, no--”

“Well most bands have at least one song about heartbreak,” he asked, “What do they have? What's that one called?”

Adrien pressed his lips together, looking away, “Well there’s  _ It Only Gets Much Worse-- _ ”

Luka laughed, the first genuine joy in their entire conversation, “Wow, okay.” he shook his head, “Tell them to make up their mind.” his amusement made the blond smile, “But yeah, that feels a lot more fitting.”

Looking over his shoulder, Adrien gestured behind himself, “Sorry to run, but I should probably go-- I just left Kagami out there--”

“Can you let her know I’m not mad at her? I’m really--” he sighed, “I get it. Everything is just a collection of dumb misunderstandings and people not willing to commit. I suppose it’s no one’s fault but my own, as Juleka likes to point out, falling in love at the drop of a hat. You’re a good person, Adrien, I shouldn’t be surprised that you managed to be caught in the middle of all of this, but I’m sorry you are.”

He watched him, taking a step closer to place his hand on his shoulder, “Don’t be sorry for that, I’m here willingly. You're my friend, Luka.” he looked up at him, “It might be a while, but you’re going to be happy again. You’re going to find someone who loves you as much as you love them. I hope it comes sooner rather than later for you.” he paused, staring at the other before pulling his hand back, “You can always reach out if you want to talk again.”

Luka sighed, smiling softly, “Thanks, Adrien.”

He nodded, waving slightly as he turned the corner, slowly making his way up the stairs. There was something that just wasn’t sitting right with him, but couldn’t figure it out; he trusted Kagami, and Luka only knew as much as he was told, but he really needed to talk to Mari to hear her side of the story. He saw his kwami appear, floating nearby as he raised his eyebrow in judgement, “What? Sorry I really wasn’t in the mood to fight akumatized Luka _again_ , especially with Ladybug all sad too.” 

Plagg shook his head, clearly not believing his motive, “Sure kid. Preventing an akumatization, that's definitely a new one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:  
> absolutely no one:  
> the Couffaines: gOD, fUCK.
> 
> I've got some midterms to take this week so my goal is tuesday/wednesday but we shall see. i don't want to wait too long because we gotta hear Marinette's side of the story, right????
> 
> I haven't read a lot of opinions on the new episode (no spoilers here, don't fret) but honest? made me uncomfy like 89% of the time. hmu with some opinions. also, not enough Luka. I cried over his seven second cameo.
> 
> **i know, Adrien knows, we all know It Only Gets Much Worse is from Nate Ruess's Grand Romantic and not a Fun. song but he kinda didn't get to explain it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we knew I would have to address the adrinette in the room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I would like to clarify that Mari is pronounced like Ari with an M and not like Mary))

February -2-

“Good morning.”

The bell above the bakery door dinged, Marinette didn’t turn, removing pastries from the tray to the cooling racks, “Good morning.”

“How’s everything going?”

She glanced over her shoulder, wondering who would be bothering her at such an hour, the sun not quite up yet, “Fine?” she did a double take, realizing a certain blond boy was standing in her bakery, “A-Adrien? W-what are you doing here?”

He smiled politely, shoving his hands in his pockets, taking a few steps near her, “Just want to check in on my friend.” she stared at him, face beet red, “Mari, you’re still one of my best friends, even after all this-- everything.” Other than as Ladybug, he hadn’t been alone with her in months, seeing each other in class hardly counted. She looked tired, and it was more than just the early hour, it looked like months of buildup and exhaustion to the core. Her hair was up in a messy bun, her faded jeans and sweater covered in flour from her baking.

Turning back to her pastries she shook her head, “You’re too nice. I was mean to everyone these past months. I was drowning and instead of accepting the help I was offered I pulled everyone around down with me.”

Adrien bit his lip, unsure what to say. Since talking to Luka two nights before, he took some time to piece what had happened. Luka mentioned Mari not being as emotionally invested as him, and she was the one who called it off. Additionally, just before Valentine’s Day, she was hanging out with Kagami, who just said they ‘did things she regretted’ but didn’t wish to elaborate, which he respected; she didn’t owe him anything. Ladybug, he’d noticed, had been beyond overwhelmed with the combination of being a hero, patrolling, dealing with all the heroes as guardian and as a leader. There were fewer akuma attacks the past month, but it didn’t provide much relief for her.

“I know you talked to Luka.” she said softly, as her hands stopped moving, “I know Kagami talked to him too. I wasn’t hiding it. I just didn’t think he needed to deal with that too.”

He hesitantly approached her behind the counter, “Do you want to talk about anything? Marinette, I really care about you.”

She sighed, not looking up, “He came by last night. Said a lot of things, proposed we could work through it, said he could love me better.” she exhaled, changing her gaze on the counter, “He was too good for me. Always loved me more than it felt I could ever love him.” she reached up, wiping her eyes before allowing her tears to fall, “Alya was right; she could tell there was something up  _ months  _ ago. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Mari, there’s nothing wrong with you--”

“Then why couldn’t I be happy?” she said quietly, finally looking up, tears streaming down her face, “First it was you and I thought blocking you from my life would help me see things clear, but it was mean and you probably hate me for it--” he shook his head at the idea, “But it was always something-- helping here, some fashion thing, school, other stuff-- to a point where I was avoiding him almost. It was really shitty of me. And I  _ know _ that. But I couldn’t stop? I really thought I loved him but there came a point where everything else was just so much more and I couldn't keep dragging him along and now-- I couldn’t do it anymore, for either of us--” she put her face in her hands.

Adrien wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to cry. He pressed his lips against her head as her arms moved to hold him tight, “It’ll be okay Mari, I’m here for you.”

Marinette pulled back to wipe her tears on her sleeves, pulled down over her hands, “Adrien, I was so stupid for ever giving up on you.” 

Oh,  _ fuck _ . Oh no. He smiled politely, hands resting on her shoulders, “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but may I ask what  _ did _ happen with Kagami?”

“It-- We were just hanging out here, she was interested in my project I’m working on and I was excited for her to--” she sighed, folding her arms, not looking at him, “Nothing was going to happen, I really didn’t mean for anything to happen we just got caught up in the moment--  _ you  _ know Kagami and how she just like, demands your attention in that way-- I was going to break up with Luka anyway, I swear, I’m not--”

“Hey hey hey, shhhh, Mari, you don’t need to justify anything to me.” he reassuringly rubbed her shoulder, “I’m just here to support you and listen, let you know you’re not alone.”

She shook her head, “ _ Fuck _ why are you like this.” she mumbled, “I don’t know. I guess I got caught up in the moment

He dropped his hands from her shoulders, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt, “I’m definitely not the best at comforting people, but I know you two are both wonderful, enjoyable, talented, people, and your relationship not working out isn’t a judgement to your character but instead something just not meant to be.”

Marinette sighed, looking up at him, “I thought I was going to be the bigger person, breaking up because I know he deserves better, because I’m not willing to put in the work, because I’m tired of trying. But everything else happened so quickly and I dumped him on  _ Valentine _ ’s  _ Day _ . That’s like. The worst I could’ve done. And even before that I sabotaged my friendships with you and I really stopped being honest with Alya too--” she sighed, “I just wish I could fix it.”

“Yeah, it kinda sucks that someone got hurt through it all. And yeah, you could’ve handled it better, but at least you can learn from it. Unfortunately, life can’t be fixed with a simple ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ and have a swarm of ladybugs fix all our mistakes.” he joked quietly, causing her to laugh under her breath, looking up at him, “I’m sorry it all happened, and that you weren’t as happy as you thought you’d be. You’ll be happy again, Mari.” he shrugged, “You’re smart and talented and beautiful. You’ve just made some mistakes.”

She looked up at him as he offered a smile, “A-Adrien, I want--” her one hand reached his face, the other taking a fistful of his hoodie collar, pulling him closer, sloppily pressing her lips to his.

He felt himself freeze, eyes widening a moment before fumbling over his pockets, freeing them to gently push her away, “Marinette, I--  _ no. _ ”

“Fuck.” she turned back towards her pastries, trying to hide her fresh tears forming in her eyes, “I’m so sorry-- I don’t know what’s wrong-- I didn’t-- I just thought--” her stuttering transitioned into incoherent mumblings. Adrien looked outside the bakery windows, seeing the sun he realized he needed to get home soon to pretend to wake up.

“Hey.” he said softly, “It’s fine, I get it--” that caused her to look up, “You’re upset and sad. People do dumb things.” she looked back down, “I’ll always be here to support and love you, but I really need you to, I guess, not do that.” he watched her move more pastries without a real sense of purpose before he pulled her into another hug, which she eagerly accepted, “I can’t magically fix you and make you feel better, but I’ll be here for you until you feel okay again.” he pulled back, gently kissing the top of her head, “I don’t want to reject you when you’re already sad, but you’re one of my best friends, Mari, and I need you to accept that I don’t want to be in a relationship with you, like ever.”

Her face dropped, wiping her eyes again, “I know. I’m sorry. I just keep hoping--”

He shook his head, “Hoping doesn’t really do much when you already know the ending is inevitable.” he looked back out the window, “I have to go now, I just really wanted to make sure you were okay, well, as okay as expected.” Marinette nodded slowly, “I’m not mad at what happened. I’m not mad at what just happened, I don’t really get mad. I’m glad you’re willing to acknowledge me again though.” he smiled gently, “I suppose I’ll see you in class.”

She smiled as he turned away, “Thanks Adrien.” 

The blond hesitated at the door, looking back over his shoulder, waving before he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honest? honestly honest honest for real? least favorite chapter i've ever written i'm so sorry i just want to post the lukadrien part rn but there's like a pLOT or something i've gotta develop and ugh  
> also yeah mari's reasoning is like ehhhhh but super honest? based off of my own breakup from a while ago so like, it's fine i guess we're all flawed.
> 
> someone on tumblr called me a ~toxic salt fan~ and in all my years in fandom, it's a first.  
> chapter 10-13 is done so we'll see how things go


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some changes are happening with team miraculous, meaning there is no team miraculous?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should retitle this fic 'adrien agreste comforts people'  
> also i updated tags but i'm still going to tag individual chapters

March -2-

“Good evening, m’lady.”

Ladybug smiled softly as her friend approached, sitting down next to her, “Thanks for coming, Chat. Sorry I called this so last minute.”

“I’m always ready to make time for you,” he looked out over Paris as her gaze shifted to her hands, “So what’s up?”

“I’m making a very hard decision. I really value your input, but I have been thinking about this for a while now.” she paused, “Based on Hawkmoth’s attacks, or rather, lack thereof, he’s likely not going to attack for a while. He’s definitely got a plan, and you’ve likely noticed too, they’re becoming more spaced out. I was speaking with Bunnyx and she helped confirm Hawkmoth is going to go through a lull in these upcoming months, so I am proposing we recollect the miraculouses.”

Not the words he was expecting from her mouth. He thought a moment, processing her words; as Ladybug, she seemed significantly more okay than how he saw her just a few days ago, and at school earlier in the day, still clearly exhausted, but with more intention. This would alleviate so much stress in her life, and since being Guardian, well, since her slip up in New York, really, her choices she made were with the best intention of everyone, “Okay. Like, right now?”

“Sooner rather than later, preferably. This is being done for the holder’s safety mostly. Of course, they’re still the team, and I can still call individuals for help if we really need it, when we really need it. If all goes well and to plan, we’ll likely give them back in a year, maybe? God I hope we get Hawkmoth by then.” 

Chat nodded, “I trust you, Ladybug. What do you need from me?”

“Well, we can either go to all of them together, or we could split and each get a few.”

“How many are there?”

She shook her head, “Silly cat, can’t you name all the heroes?” She held up her hands, ready to count as she rattled them off, “Rena, and Carapace, and Ryuko, and Pegasus, and King Monkey, and...Viperion.” she hesitated at the last hero, “If we can each get three, we should be set.”

“Good thing we held off on the last two,” he joked, referencing the tiger and the mouse they discussed a few weeks back.

She nodded, “Well I know who’s going to get them, so we’ll deal with that in the future.” she looked at her hands, “How do you want to split them?”

“Lady’s take the first pick.”

“Rena.” she lowered a finger.

Made sense, “King Monkey.” He’d be easy.

“Carapace.”

Hm. “No scales? I thought you two were getting along quite well.”  _ God _ sometimes he hated what he would do to hide his identity.

Ladybug shook her head, “I can’t get into it, Chat, but I really would prefer to not--” she exhaled, “I would greatly appreciate it if you could get the snake.”

“Hey hey hey,” he set his hand on her shoulder, “It’s all good, m’lady. No need to explain yourself to me. If you’ve got Ryuko I’ll take care of Pegasus and Viperion, is that all okay?” he didn’t think Kagami knew her identity, she'd expressed on multiple occasions, often unprompted, that she couldn’t care less about who was behind  _ any  _ of the masks.

She nodded, “We’ll meet back here, alright? An hour, but let’s keep in contact for an update. You- you do know where to find those three, right?” she asked hesitantly as she stood up, “I cannot know  _ how  _ you know, but you do, right?”

Chat offered a grin, “Don’t worry, it’s just the tracking devices I snuck on them when they first started,” he joked as she pulled out her yo-yo.

“You’re getting weirder the longer I know you, Chat.” she exhaled a laugh as her yo-yo caught, “Let’s do this.”

\---

“You’re kidding me, right?”

Chat had a fairly easy time with Kim, who really respected Ladybug’s decision and handed over without much of an explanation, having a playful farewell with Xuppu that lasted longer than Chat was expecting with a lot of raspberries and general mocking of each other. Max was a bit more reluctant, wanting to hear the logic behind it, but stuck with a formal parting with Kaalki when he was satisfied with the reasoning. Luka...was definitely the most hesitant, but Chat saw it coming, especially with the breakup not even two weeks prior, and knew to go to him last.

“I’m afraid not.” he said apologetically, offering a shrug, “It does seem like the best thing right now. Everyone’s living their own lives and to have everyone out around Paris-- there’s just too much risk. Especially with Hawkmoths potential new approach.”

Luka looked at him, then at his kwami, “Whose idea was this? What if he’s just resting before a big attack he has all lined up? Ladybug was mentioning the potential of something like that happening again-- and don’t get me wrong, you and Ladybug are strong, but not--” he sighed, nearly accepting his defeat, “But I--” he looked at him, as if he’d know the answer to his unasked question.

The hero opened his arms, offering a hug, which he took eagerly, wrapping his arms around his neck. He could feel the older boy shaking slightly, as if he were on the edge of tears, “I’m sorry Luka, but I also see where she’s coming from.”

“God, this is my fault.” he mumbled into his shoulder, “I could tell she was still hung up on him and we pretended everything was okay and on top of everything else, it was too much--”

Well if he didn’t make the connection before he definitely would’ve from this conversation, “Hey, hey, hey, Luka.” he said softly, trying to console him, “Ladybug had,  _ has _ a lot going on, trying to balance everything in her life, just because you were the final straw that broke the camel’s back doesn’t necessarily make it  _ your _ fault. You’re at equal fault of all the other hay.”

“That’s not nearly as comforting as I think you intended it to be.”

“Sorry, Not the best on the consulting front; mostly just used to comforting myself in life, which, turns out, can really fuck someone up.” he felt the other laugh slightly, “People tend to point and blame, but aren’t we all at fault just a little bit? And to that logic, none of us are to blame.” 

Luka pulled back to look at him, “Do you talk to the children like this?”

Chat shook his head, “Do you want me to talk to you like a child?”

“No, I’m scared I might like it.” he sighed, his kwami floating nearby, “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

The hero shrugged, “As someone who absolutely does not in any way have his life together, I don’t feel right dealing any sort of advice, but I can say I do believe in you.” 

He pressed his lips together, placing his hand on his bracelet, “Do you think this is a short term situation or is there a chance of me never seeing Sass again?” his kwami’s face dropped at the thought.

_ Oh. _ Chat watched him. He understood the boy’s hesitation. He couldn’t fathom no longer having Plagg in his life, especially with only a five minute warning. Luka was definitely one of the heroes who grew the most in their time, between being older, and the special attention he received from Ladybug, he also benefited the most from getting to live with his kwami. Chat reached out, reassuringly placing his hand on his arm. “Luka. I know we won’t be able to defeat Hawkmoth without you. I can’t promise how long this is for, but I can guarantee personally that this is not the last time you’ll get to see Sass.”

The kwami flew close to his master, causing him to laugh slightly, his eyes wet with the possibility, “Hear that? I’ll be back to making marshmallows for you in no time.” he held his hand out, allowing Sass to sit in it, looking up at him. “Are we on a time crunch or do I have some time?”

He looked at the time, he still had a decent amount left, and there weren’t any messages from Ladybug regarding her being done yet. “Well I was given an hour for you and Pegasus and King Monkey, and they were pretty quick. So I suppose I can hang out with you and Sass until she’s done.”

Luka smiled, “Thanks,” he looked at his kwami as he picked up his guitar from where it was leaning against his bed, sitting back down to resume his playing session, Sass sitting on his shoulder for a front row seat. The hero hesitantly sat on his bed next to him as he strummed his guitar, “I’ve always liked you, Chat.”

He laughed, “You’re really not bad yourself.”

“No, like--” he didn’t look up, focusing on the strings, plucking away, “Nevermind. What’s up with this dramatic approach-- you said Ladybug’s idea, but did you  _ agree _ ?”

“Based on the last attacks, he’s likely going to not give up, but they’re just getting spaced further and further out, like he’s slowing down. Bunnyx also confirmed it, which really confused me, how she knew but we haven’t--” he shook his head, “I shouldn’t overshare our plans.”

Luka clicked his tongue, “Since I’m no longer on the team, I suppose I’m just some punk.”

“Nah, not to me. Besides, you’re still on the team, you’re just not actively holding a miraculous. No one else is. We’re just back to the two of us.” he paused, watching his hands move on the fretboard, “As long as I’m Chat Noir, you’re going to be Viperion.”

The older boy finally looked up, “I get it. Sorry for reacting, I guess. It feels very sudden. You’re just doing what you’re told, no need for me to shoot the messenger, or, I suppose, the message either.” he watched the hero for a moment, “You’re a good hero, Chat.”

The hero tilted his head, staring back at the other, “You’re a good hero too. We’re not revoking them because anyone is bad. It’s more to be safe. Better for Ladybug to have control over all the miraculouses.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“What are you going to do?”

Luka laughed, strumming his guitar, “What  _ am _ I going to do? You ask the good question, little cat.”

“Okay. I am  _ barely _ shorter than you,  _ and _ I’m still growing.”

He smiled, “Your fluffy hair doesn’t count.” he reached up, ruffling his blond locks, “But yeah, you’re still young. Maybe by the time I get my miraculous back you’ll finally be as tall as me. I doubt you’ll be taller.” he hesitated before pulling his hand back, “How old  _ are  _ you?”

“Oh nuh uh uh. It’s these small things that will add up and no one has figured me out yet. You’re not that special to me Luka.”

“Oh, but I am somewhat special to you?” he teased, propping his elbow on the body of his guitar.

Chat laughed, leaning closer, “Now I can’t say no to that.”

Luka studied him a moment before he shook his head, clearing whatever thoughts before strumming a few chords, glancing at his kwami who was enjoying it greatly. “Guess I’ll just have to get used to playing alone again.” 

“You can always play for me,” he joked, wanting to lift the mood again.

He exhaled a laugh, playing what sounded like the soft intro to a song, closing his eyes as if to feel the music, plucking specific strings before softly singing along, smiling at Sass, who was watching with utmost fascination. Chat couldn’t help but smile, between their relationship and Luka’s passion for the music. When he was in the band, he’d only heard him play electric, but something about him singing with an acoustic guitar stripped him down to his bare emotions; leaving him absolutely captivated by his performance intended for his kwami. A few minutes passed before he shifted back to just playing, focusing on his hands, “Everyone I love is going to leave me; it’s how it’s been and how it’ll be. I think it’s something I need to expect, then maybe one day I’ll be less hurt by it,” he said softly, finally looking up as Chat’s staff beeped for a message.

The hero watched him for a moment, unfazed by his notification, lost in the other’s blue eyes as he stared back, something flickering in the green of his cat-like ones, “Change is going to come,” he reassured, “but there's just gotta be a bit of nothing first.”

\---

“Have a hard time with anyone?”

Chat shook his head, handing her the miraculouses he collected, “I never considered how close everyone got with their kwami’s. I assume you’re tight with Tikki, and I would honestly die for Plagg, even though I doubt he’d ever admit liking me.” he paused, looking at the other hero as she shook her head, “I trust you, Ladybug, but it was hard watching everyone say goodbye.”

She nodded, focusing on stacking the cases, “I know. But it’s only temporary. We all might as well rest while Hawkmoth does too. Thank you for trusting me, Chat. I suppose it’s just us two for the time being again.”

He smiled softly, “We’re still up for patrol together on Saturdays, right?”

Ladybug smiled, “Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I suppose i did make New York canon for this
> 
> play barlights aND all alright at the same time 
> 
> in perspective, i have:  
> 7 chapters for -1-  
> 8 chapters for -2-  
> 37 (!!) chapters for -3-  
> 17 chapters for -4- and -5- but they're fAR from done and def have long ones that will be cut up so i hope you're here for the long haul lol


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> okay so here we begin some sad back stories  
> also:  
> Adrien continues to comfort people

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw:   
> suicide attempt mention  
> depression
> 
> *play fun.'s Take Your Time*

May -2-

Adrien approached the houseboat, Plagg hanging nearby, “Why are we doing this again? He’s not Viperion right now, so why does it matter?”

“Luka is still my friend and I care about him. No one has heard from him and I don’t want to bother Juleka more than necessary. Last time we saw him was before his miraculous was taken. Well, when I took it. But he mentioned something off putting that’s not sitting well with me.” he shrugged, “Worse case scenario everything is fine. Now hide, you.”

“Nah no no no, hold on.” Adrien stopped walking, a little thrown by Plagg’s blatant disobedience, “Now I don’t really care what your reason is, but there’s no reason to just  _ lie  _ to me about your reason.”

He looked at his kwami, confused, “What do you mean? What do you think I’m lying about? He’s my friend, as Viperion and as Luka. And as long as I have you, he’s going to have the snake miraculous. Ladybug saying I get to make the pick when it comes around is not only stressful but honestly mean, but more important, convenient.”

Plagg shook his head, “So you’re taking his side?”

“His side in  _ what _ ? Him and Mari are both my friends, and the last two times I came to try and see how he was doing no one was home--”

“ _ I  _ was talking to Sugarcube--”

Adrien sighed, folding his arms, “ _ Ladybug _ said I can’t check in as Chat, but she never said anything regarding checking in as a friend-- as  _ me _ .”

“Then why aren’t we at the other’s houses?”

“I see most of the others in class  _ everyday _ .” he rubbed his face with one hand, “Why are you so opposed to me doing  _ anything  _ with Luka. We’re going to need him as Viperion when this is all over because I don’t have a good excuse as to why  _ I _ can’t give the snake to Adrien. You know,  _ me _ , without letting them know. This is really the very least I could do.”

The kwami shook his head, “Alright, kid, I trust you. Just wondering what your intentions are. I’m here to make you question your choices during--”

“Adrien?”

He turned to the voice to see Juleka, as well as her mother walking towards their house, “Good morning Juleka, Anarka.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Now Juleka, no reason to get snappy.”

She folded her arms, “You’re too late. He’s gone.”

A look of panic and fear must have crossed his face for a moment as Anarka laughed, “Oh no dear, he’s fine. Decided to take some time for himself and visit some family.”

“I was hoping to talk to him, he hasn’t been responding to anyone. I want to make sure he’s okay.” he shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Juleka shook her head and went into the house, leaving the two to talk on the street, “He chose it to be best to disconnect from the world. Said he couldn’t go anywhere without seeing things that...upset him.” fair. Ladybug and Adrien covered most of the posters in Paris, which, based on their last interaction, couldn’t really invoke positive thoughts. “It is very sweet of you to stop by, considering everything. No one else has.”

“Really?” this genuinely surprised him.

“Luka’s such a sweet boy, and oh so quiet, Juleka too. They definitely did not get that from me- or their fathers. But he’s always been a bit of a loner. They always had each other.” she sighed, “A few years back, something happened and he got quite depressed, pushed his few friends he did have away. I can’t imagine what brought it on, I’ve always been there for my kids. We thought it would pass, he was just a kid at that point, but one day Juleka came to me and begged for him to get help. It was like she could no longer recognize her brother and it scared her. He started therapy, and soon after he, for the first time, attempted- to end his life,” her voice cracked, eyes filling with tears.

Adrien reached, placing his hand caringly on her arm. “I am so sorry… that must have been terrifying.” he’d never personally experienced anything close to that, he had no real idea how horrifying it was.

“Oh dear, here I am completely oversharing-- I just haven’t talked about this in...well since it happened.”

“If you want to talk about it, I am more than willing to listen. Sometimes it helps to just get it out to begin processing.” he offered.

She smiled gently, wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek, “You just seem like such a caring soul, Adrien. Luka is really blessed to know you.” she exhaled, picking back where she left off, “We started trying various medications, with varying levels of success, and one sent him into a dark, dark place...when he tried again. This whole thing also affected Juleka greatly, and I chose to check him into a facility so he could focus on recovery and for me to help Juleka. You didn’t know her before this, but she really used to be a lot more open around others. When he was gone, it was like she lost her voice.”

He nodded, allowing the silence before she continued.

“He really needed to...be away to get better. In the clinic he took some music therapy, and fell back in love with guitar, you know, you’ve never seen him without it. He found a medication that worked- is working for him. And then...he met Marinette.” she sighed again, “I know she’s a great girl. He was so happy when they were together, to the point where he actually stopped taking his pills, I found out later, and then it ended so abruptly. Luka was really caught off guard, and facing the side effects of stopping suddenly, and then something else happened soon after, he wouldn’t talk about it--”

_ The miraculous _ , Adrien thought, folding his arms.

“--really set him off. So he left. A few weeks ago. We have family all over and we haven’t traveled much recently, and they are letting me know he’s definitely in safe hands. But he’s sent a few postcards, but there’s no way we can get in contact with him. I know he really needs this.” she offered a smile as another tear rolled down her cheek, “I know you came along looking for him, but I do appreciate you allowing me to get it all off my chest.”

Adrien smiled, and opened his mouth to get cut off by Juleka, “Mom can you  _ not  _ overshare to my classmates please?”

“Oh don’t worry, we’re not talking about you, dear--” she laughed, looking at Adrien like there was some inside joke, “It is nice to know Juleka’s friends are also Luka’s. It helps knowing he has someone through all this.”

“Yeah absolutely. I’ll always be here for him. Do you, by any chance know when he might be back?” she shook her head, met by his understanding smile, “Cool. Yeah. I’ll just keep checking in I suppose.” 

Anarka opened her arms, bringing him into a bone-crushing hug, “I will let him know the minute he gets home.” she let him go, “I don’t want to keep you all day, I’ll just keep blabbering if you let me. And I can tell you’re kind enough you’d let me do just that.”

He grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets again, “I do have to run, but thank you for...well, the story.” he turned to leave, stopped by her voice again.

“Luka didn’t take his guitar with him.”

Stopping, he glanced back at her. They shared a moment of understanding the journey Luka was on went beyond seeing the sights of Europe and family he’d never met. No, his journey was much more personal than that, and they knew they wouldn’t see him again for a long while. “I,” he smiled softly, “I hope he takes his time coming home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 97% of the things that happen in this story are in reference to a Fun. song (and personal experiences but whatev) and I do not think I can emphasize that any more. things that happen. backstories. things that are said. I've spent a loNG time mixing the two, and it's such such such a special niche that I believe is occupied by mostly, me. 
> 
> but heck i do appreciate you a lot for even reading this far I swear the Lukadrien is coming (but first we got some other people coming out and lukanoir (??? yes????)) i constantly feel like I'm advertising for my own fic lol.
> 
> Wednesday?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alix? Alix!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my n key has been kinda sticky lately and lemme tell you how much I ~hate~ that.

September -2-

A September haze had swept over Paris. Many months had passed since Ladybug had panic-kicked all the holders off the team, Marinette and Luka had broken up, and the last Akuma attack. It was a period of nothing for everyone.

After a summer of small adventures, Nino and Adrien found themselves hanging out in the park after class, Alya and Marinette left to help in the bakery for an order, but at least they were all acknowledging each other again. 

“Oh hey Nino, Adrien.”

The pair looked up from their conversation they were having on the park bench to see Alix standing before them, complete with her skates.

“Hey Alix,” Adrien smiled.

“Sup dude.”

She shifted her weight, “I was hoping to talk to Adrien alone, if I could.” Nino nodded understandingly, “You know what this is about.”

He stood, “You’re good dude,” he turned to his friend, “I’m gonna swing by the bakery, but I’ll see ya in class tomorrow.”

“Oh-wha-okay, he waved, a bit confused with the situation, “Bye Nino.”

“Can we walk n talk, I’m super not big on the whole sit down heartfelt conversation.” she made a face as Adrien stood, swinging his bag over his shoulder as they began to walk the path, Alix slowly skating alongside him.

The silence continued before Adrien spoke, “So is there something going on….or…”

“You’re usually so easy to talk to, geez.” she grabbed her head, almost frustrated with...herself? Adrien had never seen her like this.

“Sorry. Do you need me to not look at you, or maybe something to help make it easier…?” he offered. He was always friendly with Alix, but rarely found himself alone with her, yet alone having what felt like an existentially conflicting conversation. He also knew Alix was Bunnyx and he was responsible for delivering the miraculous to her, with no real sense of timing, just knowing he would know when the time was right. He was deeply confused about the timing but Ladybug told him not to think too much on it, it would just confuse him more, as if that was possible.

“No, shit.” she sighed stopping, she mumbled something angrily to herself before, in a much calmer voice, “I’m agender and I use they/them pronouns, please and thank you.”

Adrien tilted his head to the side, clearly confused, “You’re what?”

“Agender.”

“Is that one of the….nonbinary identities?” he asked skeptically, recalling what Alya and Nino taught him over the summer.

“Yeah!” their face lit up.

“Okay…” he was clearly thinking very hard, “Say it again so I can react more…I guess, appropriately? Enthusiastically? Better.”

They laughed, “Adrien, this isn't necessary.”

“No, it is.”

“Alright,” they rolled their eyes, entertained, “I’m agender.”

Adrien smiled, “That’s fantastic!” he offered his arms in a hug, which they accepted, “I’m so stinking proud of you,” he pulled back, keeping his hands on their shoulders, “If you ever need anything I’m here for you. And if we’re being honest, I’m not actually sure what it means but it is my newest task to find out.”

Alix laughed, feeling their eyes dampen with tears, “Thanks dude, that was wildly entertaining and welcoming. Maybe next time someone comes out to you, start with that, then ask the questions.” they exhaled as they tried to catch their breath from laughing, “And, if we’re being honest, I was putting off telling you because I was scared you, being a homeschooled rich kid, were going to react poorly.”

He shrugged, “Fair.”

“Yeah, but I forgot the fact that you’re super cool and nice, but like,” they shrugged, “You know.”

“It’s chill.” Adrien laughed and looked at them, thinking, “Hey I’ve actually got something to do. We should definitely hang out, maybe after I educate myself a bit more.” he rubbed the back of his head as they nodded, “I’ll see you around.”

They grinned, “Yeah, cool cool, see ya.” and took off down the path on their skates.

Adrien watched them and looked down at Plagg, who nodded in agreement.

\------

Alix had barely made it out of the park when a literal black cat crossed their path. They slowed to a stop, still riding off the adrenaline of talking to Adrien. They were so confident in every aspect of their life, it was weird to be so...anxious about something and others reactions. But so far, everyone had been quite accepting, save for the few who believed indifference was a ‘safer’ option. Time would only tell who actually respected them.

“Well that doesn’t seem too lucky.”

They turned, recognizing the voice to see yet  _ another _ black cat, “Hey Chat Noir.”

“Well hello Alix.” he was leaning against the building, swinging his tail with his one hand, “I’ve personally never had the curse of bad luck, but I’m not sure if I could say the same about those who paths I’ve crossed…” he trailed off, almost confused by the point he was trying to make. 

“Are we going to fight?”

“What? No.”

“So you don’t want to fight me.”

Chat’s face was washed over with a mix of fear and confusion as he stopped swinging his tail, “No! Do you want to fight  _ me _ ?”

They shrugged, “I’m not one to start a fight, but if it’s started, I will finish it. I’m more of a fool than a coward.”

His expression didn’t change as they stared right back, “God, fuck I just had something to give you, I didn’t realize you would  _ threaten my life. _ ”

“Really? Chill. I mean, I do think I know what you’re giving me, because it already happened. Let’s walk,” and started back down the street, slower for him to catch up, “How’d you know it was time?”

“Because you...wait, hang on. I’m very confused. How-- was it because of the fight with--” they nodded, “Okay and you knew you would get it eventually because it...already...happened.”

Alix laughed, “Listen, Chat. It’s confusing if you think too hard, especially for you.” he opened his mouth in offense, “It’s okay, you’re pretty. But the real key thing to remember is that time is fake and absolutely nothing matters.”

“Okay.  _ What _ ?”

“Everything that has ever happened already has. No one knows what the future holds, save for me, of course, and so all we have is the present. It’s the only thing that we have evidence of existing, the only thing that matters, and it’s constantly fleeting. Every second passes at the same rate, regardless of it being your first or last, filled with laughter or pain, and you can never really grasp or appreciate a moment until it’s past, but once it’s at that, where’s the evidence of it ever existing? Then there’s---” they were fixated on their idea, finally glancing at Chat, who looked mildly concerned and greatly overwhelmed, “It’s. A lot.”

“I’d say.”

“Just remember: time is fake and nothing matters. Think on it.” they slowed to a stop, “I think you’re supposed to be the one giving the spiel.”

He shook his head, “I really don’t think so. That doesn’t feel right. I never got a whole thing, I just...found? The miraculous? Anyways, you knew that, didn’t you?” he presented the pocket watch, well. They already had it right? Time  _ is  _ fake. “The bunny miraculous. And, to answer your question, future you said ‘we’d know’ when it was your time. Ladybug believed it would happen in battle. I believe it’s now.”

“And why now, Chat?” they teased, knowing the answer.

“You-- you’re you now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like all these chapters are like ~short~ but I honest have a chapter that's 5000 words so like. ya win some ya lose some? still no lukadrien, sorry. soon? I don't know. maybe.  
> Alix? yes.  
> agender Alix? yes.  
> agender aromantic Alix? yES.
> 
> I am also very confused by time so don't think too much on it pls
> 
> sometimes i wonder if people even like this story and i remember that i like this story and that's all that matters, me posting here is just like. a bonus round. I've got 118k words in one google doc and that's sCARY.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> growth, i suppose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you know? this is the only chapter that has two scenes from dramatically different dates sept -2- and nov -2- so heads up there's some time between these.
> 
> if you don't think about things they don't exist, right?

September -2-

“Anything new going on in your life? We don’t have many classes together, kinda miss seeing you constantly,” Adrien said, looking at Chloe, upside down from where he was hanging on the chair, legs over the back, “Anyone looking in your direction?”

She nodded, “Kagami said hello to me and Marinette audibly gasped. Did they really start dating over the summer? Even after that dramatic breakup, I did _not_ see that coming.”

Adrien laughed, “And why’s that?”

“Well, where to begin. First, she was _in love_ with you, and then dated Luka-- I just never thought she’d go to girls-- I mean, you’re far from masculine, and Luka’s got that whole androgynous mystery energy-- oh come on, don’t play dumb with me. Even you can see it.” she rolled her eyes when he offered a look of confusion, having never thought of himself or the other in that way, “It’s just not fair. It feels like everyone is in love with Marinette and I don’t get it. She’s kinda annoying and really just a kiss-ass who--”

“Chloe stop.” he snapped, “Marinette is my friend and also, I thought you wanted to be better.” In the past several months since her initial proposal, the two had been meeting nearly every week to just hang out. It typically consisted of Chloe explaining things she noticed with the other students, one of them rambling about something they were enjoying in life, and both complaining, and eventually, working on schoolwork. Adrien found it to be bothersome the first few times, but it was one of the few times his father would willingly let him out of the house, and quickly grew to enjoy his time with her. Well, _most_ of the time.

Sighing, she folded her arms, falling back on the couch, “Yeah, but it’s really hard when everyone adores the person you hate the most, making it near impossible to make different friends. Word travels _fast_ in this school.”

“Since switching schools is out of the question,” this was a recurring topic they covered thoroughly throughout the entire summer, “Maybe it’s best to just forgive everyone.”

“Well is that what you do? Is that why you’ve been so emotionally detached and just letting everyone walk all over you?” he pushed himself up, turning to glare at her, “You’re at everyone’s beck and call, gotta comfort Kagami, and Marinette, make sure Nino and Alya are okay, check out the art kids, visit Luka to see what’s up even though his existence has absolutely _no_ impact in your life anymore, you’re _here_ \--”

“What’s your point, Chloe?” he said, exhausted.

She groaned, “I care too much about myself, but _fuck_ , Adrikins, when was the last time you sat and asked yourself what you want? When was the last time you did _anything_ for yourself?”

He stared at her before shifting his gaze to the floor, “I don’t know what I want.”

“Running around and helping others might be a good way to fill time, but in the long run, leave you exhausted and eventually alone. We’re all going to end up alone at this rate.” her words reminded him of Luka’s, last time he saw him months ago. The last words he said to him, really. He stopped by the houseboat once a month over the summer, just to check it out, but he still wasn’t back. The two times he ran into Anarka, she had no new information, and Juleka had no interest in talking to him about her brother, but was fine with his existence at school. Fair.

“That’s a morbid outlook on life.” he mumbled, turning to sit in the chair normally, “I just want those who I love to be happy.”

“And what if their happiness is dependent on yours?”

 _Absolutely terrifying_. “Well I’m pretty decent at faking it, I suppose.” she shook her head, clearly disappointed by his answer, “You had to hit rock bottom to get better, and if I haven’t hit it yet, I’m scared to see what it is.”

“You don’t-- oh fuck, what’s the quote, something that you don’t need to hit a bottom to get better.” he looked at her, “It’s literally a quote that’s hanging in my therapists waiting room, please do _not_ expect me to elaborate from there.”

“You’re still really mean, you are aware of that, right?”

Chloe sighed, “Sounds like you’re just continuously deflecting.”

“Stop using your therapy terms on me to try and justify being blatantly mean.” they watched each other, neither willing to back down from their statements. “I get it’s really hard because you’re working hard on being better, and it’s hard that people won’t give you the time of day,” he paused, noticing his repetition on the word, “Guess the things worthwhile are often the things that are hard. Maybe being soft is the better form of rebellion these days. Everything else going on is just…”

“They’re what? Hard?” she joked.

Adrien exhaled a laugh, “Yeah I suppose so. But really? You can’t expect them to just forgive you either? You really hurt them, Chlo. I’m giving you a second chance because I’ve seen you be better. I _know_ you can be better. I love you, really, but you still get so bad sometimes.”

She mumbled something incoherent, shaking her head.

“Yeah? What was that?” he asked, amused. “I hope it wasn’t mean, because if I wanted to hear mean things I’d just go home and interact with my father.”

Pushing herself up, she exhaled, “Fuck. God. I’m sorry. I said, ‘ _growth isn’t linear’_ which is what Jocelyn loves to tell me every time I get angry.” she shook her head, “I’m not annoyed with you, I’m annoyed with her and the fact that I’m still getting angry when things don’t go my way. Like just now when you refused to admit you might have a problem. Maybe you’re just not ready yet and I shouldn’t push you to _miraculously_ be ready-- do you get what I did there, adding humor to relate to you and lighten the situation--”

Adrien laughed, “You’re getting weirder the longer I know you, Chloe. What’s next, you’re going to start listening to my podcast recommendations?”

“I might definitely begin considering some of them. You’re a _huge_ fucking nerd, like to the point I don’t know if I could handle that being a part of my life.” she shook her head as Adrien grinned, standing up, “You want to hug, don’t you?”

“Chloe, please I love hugs I’m still trying to make up for my childhood.” he half pouted, opening his arms, “I know hugs don’t magically fix things but I’m _pretty certain_ they do.”

She shook her head in disbelief as he shook his arms in emphasis, “Adrikins, I love you. I really do, but you’re pretty fucked up and I really think it’s better to acknowledge that sooner rather than later. You can’t just forgive people because they make you happy or something dumb like that. You’re just going to get hurt.”

“I’m sorry, are you trying to convince me to...not help you?” he sat down next to her, accepting she wasn’t going to stand up, “You’ve really been more pleasant overall these past nine months. Like you can be better, for sure, but if you ever want to hang with me and Kagami-- oh eh, I mean Mari’s often there--”

“You’re third wheeling them? _Willingly_?” 

Adrien looked at her for a moment, “I hang with Nino and Alya all the time--” he attempted to justify as she laughed, “Not the same?”

“Oh no, absolutely not.” that made zero sense to him. “Did you ever third wheel Marinette and Luka-- oh well, wait, no I know that answer.” he shot her a glare, “I’m kidding, calm down. I dunno, the whole Marinette being in love with you, _especially_ after that whole February chaos, and you kinda dating Kagami during the whole thing makes the situation really...whack.”

“Whack?” he asked, amused.

“It would be like you and...hm...God, since Alya and Nino haven’t broken up yet, I guess the only similar scenario would be if you and Luka got close and Marinette third wheeling you two-- I _know_ I’m _sorry_ , I get how you don’t want to talk about your sexuality at all--” she looked at him a moment as he stared back, entirely unamused, “I said _close_ , god, I’ll go back to the other scenario if it’s so upsetting. I don’t get why Alix came out to you before me.”

“They _never_ came out to you!” he defended before mumbling, “ _I’m_ not offended, it's just not a realistic scenario.”

Chloe shook her head, sighing, “Fine, I’ll keep you super straight and break up your friends in a nice long term relationship in my hypothetical scenario to help you understand how weird it is,” he raised his eyebrows, clearly not satisfied with the alternative, “If they were to break up and you were to start dating Alya--”

“Okay. But Nino is my best friend, even if I did--”

“Fuck, I’m _sorry._ There’s not a comparable scenario, it’s weird, just take my word for it.”

The two fell into a silence, not looking at each other. It couldn’t be _that_ weird, now could it? They were both his friends, so how was it not the same? He had no intention of dating any of them, and the odds of Mari and Luka both willing to hang out with him ever again was slim to none, especially in the near future. Well, that was, if Luka ever decided to come back from wherever he’s been hiding but-- no, Chloe was right, he, outside of the miraculous, had absolutely no real impact on his life, and as long as he came back to Paris before they chose to redistribute the miraculous, he wouldn’t need to think of him again. “What if we agree to not apologize for things we’re not sorry for?”

She looked at him, nodding, “I suppose that’s something I can strive for.”

“Well the first thing is to just not do things worthy of an apology, like stop trying to convince me here’s something wrong with me, and stop bringing up things I’ve _explicitly_ told you I don’t want to talk about. I think I would know that much about myself to figure that out.” she didn’t react to this, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort, “But kudos, a year ago I’d never expect that from your mouth, and now I might actually be believing it?” 

“Okay okay. _Thanks_ , I guess.”

He glanced at her, “I mean this mostly to me, you should still be apologizing for things you did to everyone else.” he leaned closer, smiling, “Can I hug you now?”

Chloe shook her head, not to the offer, but to his words, “Being nice is exhausting.” she mumbled, opening her arms.

Pulling her into a side hug he laughed, “But I’m proud of you for being better.”

\-----------------

November -2-

“Sugarcube!”

Adrien looked up from his piano, confused by Plagg’s outcry when he saw the other kwami, floating near his window, “Hey Tikki…?” he stood, walking towards her, “Is Ladybug in trouble?”

“Hello Adrien, no, Ladybug is fine, there’s no need to panic--”

“He was far from panicked there--”

The other two looked at Plagg, who shrugged, “Anyway,” Tikki pressed on, “We have a plan. A proposition. We need to hand out the miraculouses again.”

He nodded, “Yeah. Cool. That does sound like a plan.” he smiled politely, “Is there a reason Ladybug didn’t come here herself-- it’s always nice to see you, but it’s just a bit, I suppose, informal?”

“Well...Ladybug doesn’t know I’m here.”

Plagg and his master exchanged glances, “Okay…”

“She believes it’s a good idea, you two are getting run ragged each attack, these last two, and we keep having to find the other heroes when you two admit you finally need help-- stubborn, you two. Plus patrolling constantly on top of your real lives-- one of you are bound to get hurt. But she’s afraid they won’t listen and respect her after how she ‘dropped’ them-- her words, not mine.” she explained, “So I came to ask you to encourage her, and maybe-- with her agreement of course-- to hand them out.”

Adrien folded his arms, thinking, “I mean, okay… I don’t know most of their identities--”

Plagg looked at him, “Bullshit.” he turned to her, “He knows _everyone_.”

“It’s fine, you’re going to talk to her anyway, so she’ll let you know who gets what.” Tikki reassured, ignoring the other kwami entirely. “This isn’t me sneaking behind Ladybug’s back, I would appreciate that clarification."

“Okay, sure. Whatever you say. I won’t think too long on it. Should I just bring it up all nonchalant at patrol or--” 

Tikki smiled for the first time since she’d gotten there, “I think that would work great, Adrien.” she glanced out the window, “Thank you for considering and helping out, I really need to go before she notices I’m gone. I’m sorry I couldn’t give a more elaborate reason, or have details, I just wanted to plant this idea in your head, something to think about. It’s always safer to do it too soon than too late.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” he watched her as she flew to the window, hesitating before flying back over to the two, “You’re a really good Chat Noir, Adrien.”

He smiled, “Thanks, Tikki.” he waved as she left, leaving him alone with his kwami, who, surprisingly, didn’t speak his mind immediately, looking to his master, “Plagg, that was weird, right?”

The kwami nodded, “Yes. It’s happened before, definitely, but still not very common.”

“But I should...bring it up with Ladybug tomorrow, right?”

“What’s going to happen when you have the snake miraculous again? You only mention like every other day that you still haven’t seen Luka since March, and I hope to god to never have to see Aspik again--” 

Adrien’s mouth opened in offense, “Okay now, the only problem with Aspik is that I can’t also be Chat Noir, not because of _anything_ else--”

He shrugged, “You’re not creative enough to be with Sass, nor with Tikki. We witnessed it, and there’s nothing wrong with it, kid. Just gotta know yourself. You’re a good person, you’re not nearly as creative as those two, so I guess all we can do is just hope this punk decides to show up again before Ladybug asks you to hand out the miraculouses again.” he looked at the blond, who was thinking, “Aw come on, you know what I mean. You’re the best Chat Noir I’ve ever had, and I’ve had _all_ of them.”

Smiling, he held his hand out for him to sit on, “I’m not offended, Plagg. Each miraculous takes a certain type of person to handle, and Ladybug did a fantastic job picking everyone. I was just thinking who she’s going to give the tiger and mouse to. And she mentioned the bee again, but I’m having a hard time seeing anyone other than Chloe with that.” he shook his head, exhaling a laugh, “And we know she’s not going to be down for that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you know 2.0? i originally wrote this fic with the sole intention of a Chloe redemption arc. but like, didn't want it to be the featuring moment, so I then got into Lukadrien and was like, oh yes. perfect. 
> 
> i sWEAR lukadrien is coming. you see the seeds tho, right? we are patient bean farmers, they have yet to sprout.
> 
> i don't want to get your hopes up but soon? like oddly soon?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy coming out day!  
> here's a nice double header (that's like the things back to back, right?)
> 
> tw:  
> self harm mention  
> suicide mention  
> depression mention

December -2-

“I know.”

Ladybug paused, midstep, turning to face her partner, “You--  _ what?” _

“You think it’s a good time to hand back the miraculouses. You’re right,” he shrugged, it was as good a time as any, “I trust you.”

She pressed her lips together, “Can we sit to talk about this?”

He nodded, sitting with his legs hanging over the edge of the roof they were walking on as she sighed, joining him to his left, “Ladybug, I definitely should’ve mentioned this sooner. It’s been over a week and I didn’t know how to bring it up, but it seems the most fitting right now.” he paused, glancing at her, concern on her face, “Oh, it’s not-- I just don’t feel right but Tikki actually came to me? And told me how you were considering this and to bring it up, but I didn’t feel right, so I’ve been waiting for you to say something, and now that you  _ have _ \--”

The other hero shook her head, laughing, “It’s okay Chat. Sorry for--” 

“She said you didn’t know she was there, and yet she  _ wasn’t  _ sneaking behind your back, but even Plagg said something was weird about the whole thing--”

“Chat.” she placed her hand on his knee, looking up at him, “I’m sorry for that. I can see that being confusing. Tikki and I were talking about it and I was a little hesitant, I said a year at least, and it’s only been what, eight, nine, months? No, I knew she went. I suppose she’s just testing our strength and it really says a lot that you told me, and waited for me to bring it up.” she paused, looking out over Paris, “You’ll always be my partner in crime, even after we get Hawkmoth. I was talking with Pegasus recently and he’s come up with a specialized akuma alert system where we can call individual heroes when we need them. There’s this whole security technology he was explaining, it’s really fascinating-- I’m not going to bore you with it right now.” he smiled at her before she continued, “With these fights getting more complicated, I think it’s only reasonable to hand them back out.”

“Is...everyone getting theirs back?”

She nodded, “I was thinking for the most part, yes. Everyone suits theirs so well, and for the most part, I can’t imagine anything different. There are a few parts I’m hesitant about, and I would prefer if you made the decision.” he watched her, expectantly, “It’s the snake and the bee.”

Well, that was obvious; he knew her hesitation with allowing Luka back, but didn’t want to make it on such a personal decision. He prefered it greatly so he wouldn’t have to decline the offer as Adrien, and as long as he could wait long enough for the other to return, it should be smooth sailing. “Assuming you don’t want Chloe back, do you not have someone for the bee?”

“I do have people in mind, as well as the mouse and tiger, but I was thinking if maybe  _ you _ have someone in mind?” he nearly froze with the potential of that responsibility, “I’ll give you some time to think it over, but I greatly value your opinion Chat. I was considering giving back the miraculouses in a staggered form, and the bee would be last, so no real pressure until we have most of our team formed.”

He thought a moment before nodding, “Yeah, okay. I would be honored to get to choose the bee miraculous holder. Would you mind giving me hints on the others?” he asked, leaning closer, prompting a laugh from her. “You know, in case we accidentally pick the same people or I pick someone who already has one?”

“It’s okay, I know you already know everyone’s identities, but not mine, right?” the other hero shook his head quickly, “I don’t see a problem in you knowing, you’ve been very mature with not abusing that information. But anyway, we’ll have a much more official miraculous meeting, I’ve got a diagram and everything all thought out-- do not worry, they are locked up and very safe.” she reassured, “We’re going to need to be a strong team to take down Hawkmoth.”

\---

A few weeks had passed since their agreement, a few meetings to discuss the details behind it all, and only one akuma attack in the time, difficult enough to call backup. Chat Noir was beginning his typical Friday patrol, on his way back from helping deliver a gift on the outskirts of Paris, “Just call me Kiki,” he had joked, which was met by silent confusion. He was crossing back over the river and noticed a familiar colorful head of hair sitting on the railing of the bridge.

This struck some nerve within him, not quite panic, but excitement didn’t seem fitting either, and he found himself next to the boy in record time before he could do anything rash, “Heyo Luka.”

He looked up from the river beneath him, “Oh. Hello Chat Noir.”

“Is everything okay?” he approached the edge next to him, looking down at the flowing water he was transfixed by.

“Yeah. Just thinking.” he looked around, almost startled by the darkness, “Fuck, what time is it? I really got distracted,” but he didn’t move.

Chat Noir continued to stare at him, “It’s only like 6, 7. Gets dark early, we’re in the shortest days of the year.”

Luka sighed, removing one hand from the railing to rub his face, “Look at me, wasting another day,” he looked back to the hero, who instinctively moved closer in case he fell, “Is- oh. You’re worried about--” he laughed a little, “There are few bridges in Paris high enough to end in death.”

Hesitating, he knew that information was relatively irrelevant, “I’d also prefer to not have to jump into the water to save you. More opposed to the water, not the saving you.” the other smiled slightly at this, “So is there a reason you’re hanging over this bridge how you are?”

He looked up to the sky, most stars not visible due to Paris’s light pollution, “Well, it’s a lot, if you want to stay and listen. Most don’t, so could always go if you have somewhere else to be.”

Chat knew Luka enjoyed him significantly more in his hero form, which he couldn’t really blame. But seeing as this was the first time he’d seen the other since he took the miraculous back in March, he really wished he was Adrien. Because he, as Chat, wasn’t allowed to know where he was the past nine months. But he, as Adrien, was allowed, so he  _ knew _ what might be happening, thanks to the conversation with his mother, revealing a lot more than he planned, and how Luka had chosen to travel and find himself. But also, Luka would open up significantly more to him as Chat. He found himself, once again, stuck between his two selves. “I have all the time in the world.”

“Chill.” he smiled weakly, sighing again, “First, I’ll apologize, I am still a good deal high, so I might be a bit rambly, if I lose you, let me know.” Chat smiled, a bit excited to witness the talkative side of Luka. Both of the Couffaines really tried to keep hidden, “Back when I was like 14, 15, a bit younger than you are now, I got  _ super _ depressed. It got so so bad. We tried therapy, and medication, some helping a bit more than others. After my second attempt, I ended up getting sent away and the institution I was in had an art and music therapy class. I’d always loved music my whole life, but being introduced to it in such a healing way literally saved my life. It got to be a lot for a while, I let it consume me, but on top of medication and regular therapy I got better. I opened up again and for a while, things were really good. But, inevitably,” he shrugged, “things kinda spiraled. Before I left, I was in a band--”

“Luka, I know who you are.”

“Right,” his face turned red as he looked back to the stars, “I wouldn’t say I was better, I knew I would be, and I will be again. I feel like I’m over simplifying something I still deal with. But before music, I saw no meaning in anything I did. Suicide was always on the forefront of my mind,” he rolled his sleeves up, his usual collections of bracelets were gone, revealing dozens of scars, some more faded than others, crossed and straight across on his pale skin, “And I suppose since it was worse before, I’m not suddenly better, but it feels like I should be. The thoughts should be gone, but they’re always there. I traveled all over Europe, I went hiking in Switzerland and visited family in the Czech Republic and did all these amazing things, but constantly in the back of my mind, the thought was there. I still have to fight it. I feel like it’s a normalized option in my life, like I normalized death. While it’s not constantly on my mind, it’s still there, always an option, and a reasonable one at that.”

The blonde didn’t know what to say. Luka, attempting to balance, pulled his sleeves back down, grabbing the railing, “Have you been...more okay?”

This caused Luka to fully smile, “I mean, yeah. Things got bad at the beginning of the year, I don’t know how much you know, but everything happened at once. I do not blame anyone for it, let that be known, but I shut down. Which is why I left. And it really helped, the time away from Paris, even though it sounds like I didn’t miss much. But yeah, I think I’m doing better, I’m definitely not okay, but I suppose it’s a good term. More okay.”

Chat moved to hug him from behind, tightly holding across his chest and stomach, almost scared to let go. He wasn’t crying, but definitely sounded like he was on the verge of, “I just want to let you know you’re loved by many and the world is big and makes you feel alone, but I will always be there for you when you need me.”

Luka felt tears welling up in his eyes. He’d only told Juleka what happened, and while it was happening, making her reaction more of urges to stop. He mentioned it offhand to Marinette, who noticed his scars asking if he was okay, and at the time she asked, he was. He let go of the railing again to rest his hands on Chat’s arms that showed no signs of loosening. He looked back to the sky, trying to prevent his tears from overflowing down the sides of his face, “Thanks Chat.”

“I’ve missed kicking Hawkmoth’s butt with you.” he mumbled, his chin resting on his left shoulder, “But I’m happy you’re doing better. And I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with it, you deserve to be happy. But it’s good to know yourself.”

He bowed his head, tears freely falling down his face as Paris’s famous superhero held him tight, scared to let go. He knew people cared about him and loved him, but it was hard to imagine, hard to remember sometimes. Him and Chat, as heroes, were good friends, and would always have each other’s backs, but never be each other’s number two. “It’s hard to not feel alone when you push everyone away.”

“Aw, don’t worry, you’re not strong enough to push me away,” Luka laughed slightly as he wiped his cheeks dry, “I tried to find you, but you didn’t make it too easy.” he loosened his grip as the other turned to look at him, “What?”

“You did?” No one had told him. 

Oh shoot. He shrugged, trying to play it off, “I mean, I checked on all the holders after they were...exiled from the team. I understand why she did it too.” he let go as Luka swung his legs over the railing to stand on the other side, “They were, for the most part, fine. But no one knew what happened to you. Your sister wouldn’t even tell me.”

“So you know Juleka?”

Chat nodded, “Yeah, she’s chill. Not a huge fan of me, though.”

“Well that doesn’t run in the family.”

He smiled softly, studying the older boy as he wiped his face again. His eyes were bloodshot, mostly, he assumed, from crying, still the blue that went so well with his hair, which maintained the same ombre the day they met. This time, shorter than he had seen it, but still long enough to be recognizable. Now standing, Chat was able to process his height, still a good few inches taller than him, “I was so excited that I grew and was going to finally be taller than you,” he pouted quietly.

Luka laughed softly, “It’s okay, Chat, maybe one day.” he looked at the hero in a way that made him believe he knew all his secrets. The silence settled in gently between the two, watching each other as if waiting for the next thing to happen. Chat’s face relaxed as Luka reached up, caressing his thumb down his cheek, surprised when he responded, leaning in closer, his clawed fingers barely making contact with his waist.

Time felt like it froze as they stood, inches apart, their clouded breath combining in one, lost in each other's colorful eyes, the hero’s hands now holding his waist under his unbuttoned winter jacket. It was Chat who eliminated the space between them, pressing his lips to Luka’s, whose other hand immediately went to his face, kissing back passionately. Pausing for a breath, the two looked at each other before Chat pulled back, slightly pushing the other away as he took a step back, “Oh no. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Dropping his hands, Luka shrugged, “I mean,  _ I’m _ not complaining.”

Chat looked him up and down, “Sorry, that was not very hero-y of me.” he laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously, “Hey do you need a way home, or…”

He shook his head, unable to decipher what was going on in the dumb cat’s head, “I’ve got my bike, thanks.”

Chat nodded, and for the first time, seemed like he was actually thinking before choosing his words, “I also wanted you to know I’m going to get you your miraculous back.”

“Really?” Luka was intrigued, taking a step closer, which was met with the hero taking a step back, into the road.

“Yeah. Maybe soon? Hopefully soon.” he exhaled, seeming more calm from the recent events, he walked back to him, “Maybe it’s best to not talk about this?”

Luka smirked, “Your secret’s safe with me, kitty.”

A grin appeared on the cat’s face, “Gee thanks I sure hate that.” providing a laugh from Luka, who knew he sure couldn’t mean that. “I’ll find you again.”

“A bit threatening.”

Chat rolled his eyes, “You know what I mean,  _ Luka _ .” Something about his presence just brought ease and peace to him. Something about his emerald cat-like eyes mixed with passion and concern and his cheeky grin when he knew he was being smart made him reconsider his faded crush. Something about the cat’s dumb puns and confident approach to life, that could easily be played out as cocky, but really made him think there was something more going on. Even before tonight he knew he was compassionate, always checking on the akumatized victims after fights. He was lost in his eyes, absolutely captivating, practically glowing in the night air- and fuck, he was still talking.

Luka bit his lip and nodded, “I really didn’t catch a single word of that.”

He sighed, “Shame, I was just admitting my truest and most passionate love for you.” Luka felt himself burn bright enough he knew Chat would notice in the dim moon light. “Kidding. I love no one and all. My offer still stands, give me a ring if you ever need me.” he pulled out his staff, indicating his departure, “Stay safe.”

“Thanks Chat.” he smiled weakly.

He grinned and was gone, Luka watching him until he was out of sight, jumping rooftop to rooftop. Luka took his face in his hands, cheeks still burning, “Get your shit together, he’s a hero.” But he did kiss him.  _ Chat Noir  _ kissed him. That had to mean something, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honest i don't know what's going on. (in life)  
> ladybug isn't even mentioned in like the next (x) chapters so like she's livin her best life. don't worry about her. if you want a story about her watch the show i guess?
> 
> gOD we finally got some lukanoir content we deserve (says the author)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a miraculous is returned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's wednesday but like a naptime mood y'know

January -3-

“Heyo.”

Luka was sitting on the edge of the houseboat, leaning against a post and aimlessly strumming a matte black ukulele. Chat appeared, standing closer to the bow, leaning against a different post. He looked up, smiling as he propped his chin with his hand, resting against the uke, “Heyo, Chat Noir, my favorite Paris superhero.”

He pressed his lips together, eyebrows furrowed, unsure exactly what that meant, “I do know enough to know that is a very biased statement, and likely not even true.”

“And who would you suppose then?” he teased.

Chat shrugged, “I personally enjoy Viperion--” Luka rolled his eyes, smiling, “But from us left, I suppose I’d choose Ladybug, although, I’d understand if you pass, especially with everything you two…” he hesitated, as if remember their past, “Okay, I get it, between the two of us. Still pretty biased if I do say so myself.”

The older boy bit back a smile before shaking his head, “Is it still just you two?”

He sighed, “Yeah. Well, Rena and Carapace still don’t technically have theirs, Ladybug just sometimes calls for Rena if we’re really struggling, which has been, you know, all of them recently. Last time we even included Carapace. Ladybug’s idea was to have as few miraculouses out there, and we’re ready to admit we need everyone out there with us. Hawkmoth is starting to attack more consistently and honest, patrol multiple times a week is a lot to handle.” he paused, watching the other as he stared back, entertained with every word, “But we’re handing them all back, building a stronger team than before. And I am choosing you first.”

“Me first? I’m so honored.”

The cat grinned, bowing slightly as he presented him, once again, with the snake miraculous, “Luka Couffaine, would you do me the honor---”

“This is really starting to sound like a marriage proposal.”

“Are you saying if this was a marriage proposal you would change your answer?” he teased, standing back up as he took the box, “You’re like what, 20? That’s plenty old enough.”

Luka laughed, covering his mouth and blushing a little, “First, still 19. Opposed to the idea of marriage, not entirely to you.”

Chat smirked, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” the two shared a moment before he cleared his throat, “Official Miraculous duties. We--well. Just me, right now, are trusting you with the snake miraculous. Bunnyx will be thrilled to have another time buddy.”

“Oh, she’s still on the team?”

“Well,  _ they _ ,” he emphasized, “Never left? Maybe they’re still not technically a member. Time is fake anyway. Can you just take the miraculous, we need you. I miss you, scales.”

He smiled at his nickname, opening the box, “Anything for you, kitty.”

The blond clenched his hand into a fist, “Heck yes. That was stressful. Honest time here, if you had said no I really had no backup, no other plans or people to give it to--” 

“Did Adrien turn it down?”

“What?” not the words he expected to hear from him, “No-- I-- You’re my first choice, Luka.” he raised his eyebrows, almost surprised by his proclamation, “I don’t even know that kid. Well, I  _ know _ him, everyone knows him just a little, but not enough to--  _ regardless _ , we’ll talk about this later if it’s so troubling to you. Huh, you really think?” 

Luka shrugged as he shook his head, “Just wondering.”

The hero took a few steps closer to him, “I really wasn’t kidding when I said as long as I’m Chat Noir, you’re going to be Viperion.” they watched each other for a moment before Chat smiled, “Besides, between you and me, I think Ladybug might try to give him the bee if I don’t come up with someone.”

“I suppose we can only have pretty blonds hold that one, huh.”

Chat laughed at this, not really expecting to hear himself be called pretty from the other, “I suppose so. But hey, welcome to the team. Again. We have a group chat now. It’s mostly dead. Who am I kidding, the last six notifications are kicking people out. Have any questions?”

Luka picked up the miraculous, adding the bracelet to his collection on his right arm, “Yeah, maybe one day Sass could hang with your kwami.” he appeared almost at the mention of his name.

“Oh, it’s been sssso long since I’ve gotten to see Plagg. That would be ssssuch fun!” Luka smiled and held his hand up for him to sit in, absolutely enthused his friend was back.

Chat, still smiling, rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what he was getting at, “No one’s figured me out yet, and I’m pretty certain it’ll stay like that. Do you have any real questions?”

“Are we going to have a follow-up from our bridge meeting?”

_ Fuck _ did this kid have confidence, “ _ Luka _ .” he sighed, shaking his head.

Luka grinned, mimicing the other, “I’m just fucking with you, Chat. Thank you for trusting me and giving it back.” he looked down at his kwami, “I don’t have many new songs to show you, but we can absolutely make some marshmallows today, it’s been a second.”

“That sounds perfect, Master Luka.”

“Just Luka still works fine.” 

The hero smiled softly, watching as Sass flew to sit on his shoulder, similar to their last time they were together. It was nice to see him genuinely smiling again; given, he’d never spent that much time with him. Fights and general miraculous meetups were one thing, but to actually talk and spend time with him was another; another thing he wanted to do a lot more. There was something about him that just sparked an interest in the blond; his soft nature, maybe, his creative thinking, also maybe, but he mostly just wanted to  _ know _ him, befriend him. What happened on the bridge in December felt almost...fake? Adrien wasn’t one to just kiss someone because it felt right in the moment; but maybe Chat was? He wished he had someone to talk about it to-- other than Plagg who was mostly teasing him for not being able to establish a difference between himself as Chat and as Adrien, and also for  _ kissing Luka Couffaine. _ On a whim, nonetheless.

“Hey Chat.” the older boy said softly, breaking his thoughts, realizing he was staring right at him, “Thinking much?”

He shook his head, like clearing an etch-a-sketch, “Sorry, yeah. Have a joke about me actually thinking for once? People love to point out how it’s not really a common occurrence for me.”

Laughing, he shrugged, “No, just trying to draw you back to reality. Thanks for trusting me again.”

Chat leaned closer to the other, “Well if anyone deserved a  _ second chance _ \--” Luka laughed again at this, covering his mouth, “Thanks for understanding everything and being patient during all of this.” he was about to turn and go, hesitating, “It’s really great to see you doing better, and my offer still stands, so never hesitate to reach out.” he paused, addressing Sass, “Watch out for him, he’s a good kid.”

Pulling out his staff, he heard him say to Sass, “You ever get kid-zoned by your superhero crush? There’s  _ a lot _ to catch you up on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep writing scenes that take place in -5- and lemme tell you I would like to stop.  
> also drawing fanart for scenes that have liTERALLY 100k words before we get to them.  
> (my tumblr: rainbow-arrow.tumblr.com )
> 
> maybe friday? ch 16 is practically done but 17 is Not(tm) so hm. a conundrum.
> 
> anywho, thanks for reading! literally never expected anyone to ever read what I post but like! people are! and i hope you're enjoying it! thanks for being amazing!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien makes an effort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the previous 14 chapters were like 'pt 1' and intro and what not, and this and the next two are more of a 'transition' into my 'pt 2' as i like to refer to as 'lukadrien summer' (although it starts in March and goes til october)

February -3-

“Juleka’s not here.” Luka barely glanced up from the book he was reading as Adrien approached the houseboat on the surprisingly sunny but still quite chilly February afternoon. 

“Oh. Hm. I was actually looking for you.”

This made him look up, not moving from under the pile of blankets separating him from the winter weather, “Me? Why?”

“Heard a rumor you were back,” the rumor was him seeing him, “It’s been like a year since I’ve even seen you.” he shrugged, walking onto the boat, stopping by the chair across from him.

Luka nodded, “Okay. And?”

Adrien grinned, fully aware the older boy’s enthusiasm was non-existent, “I missed you? You’re a lot of fun to hang with.” he stared at him expectantly. In his defense, the last time he saw Adrien was him comforting him after Kagami told him what happened. But the last time Adrien saw him was on the bridge, then giving back his miraculous. Quite different circumstances, “Whatcha reading?”

He held the book up, allowing him to read ‘ _ To Kill a Mockingbird’ _ “I’m making my way through some ~American classics~,” he said deadpan as he looked back to the book.

“That’s a fun category,” he set his bag down, sitting on the chair, “A lot of people say Great Gatsby is overrated but I find it quite...I guess entertaining? You’ve probably got a reference list, but if  _ Their Eyes Were Watching God  _ isn’t on it, it’s a bad list.”

Luka sighed, “I hope you know I’m just going to keep reading.”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, of course, I’ll just…” he reached into his bag, pulling out his own book. Luka glanced up, interested, “ _ Albertine disparue _ , the….sixth? In  _ Remembrance of Things Past _ ? Feels like I’ve been working on it forever.” he opened it to where he left off, diving right back in. 

The two read in silence, Adrien eventually pulling his feet under to sit more comfortably, and really, warmer. His shivering must’ve been obvious as the other boy took notice. “Hey.”

He looked up just in time to see a blanket hurling straight at him. Setting the book aside, he fumbled with the fabric, smiling to show his appreciation, “Thanks, I wasn’t  _ that _ cold--”

Luka watched him struggle, slightly amused, “You do know I have a heated blanket under here, it’s pretty chilly without it.”

“Okay I  _ was  _ wondering why you weren’t even slightly cold.” he huffed, pulling his hood up as he settled back into his new, much more enjoyable setup. Picking up his book, he glanced up, offering another grin, “Thank you.”

The other boy watched him settle in, shaking his head as he looked back to his story.

\-----

The sun began to set as Luka sighed, closing his book, stretching his arms over his head, prompting Adrien to look up, “Still here, huh?”

“Y….es?” he responded, unsure it was even correct.

“Did you actually need something or was it your intention from the beginning to read your afternoon away?”

“I did have a book, didn’t I?” A rhetorical question, he shrugged and closed his book, “I was going to do whatever you were doing. I mostly just wanted to hang with you.”

He was skeptical, “Really?”

He nodded, “Really really. I’m also looking for new and different music recommendations. And you seem like the type of person who listens to a bit of everything. So I was wondering if you’d be willing to recommend some bands to me.”

Luka pouted, studying the other boy, as if suspicious of his intentions, “Sure. Yeah, I’ll send some playlists over.”

“Sweet.” he smiled, Oh, also are you doing anything next week? Specifically Wednesday?”

“Next week? No?”

Adrien nodded, “Well next week is Valentine's Day. Wanted to make sure you didn’t have some ~big exciting plans~ I remember you being a bit of the hopeless romantic type,” he teased lightly, pulling back the blanket to stand up.

“Oh, well. I’m not exactly in the right place to even consider a relationship…or even love in that matter,” he mumbled, almost angrily, “Don’t think I will be for a while either. Not really in the mood to be let down like that all that again.”

He offered a sympathetic smile, shoving his book back into his bag, “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m always down to listen. And…” he paused, choosing his words as he watched the other, “Whoever you fall for next time...I hope they really cherish you like you deserve.”

The heartfeltness of the statement took him a little off guard, “Thanks? If I don’t send you the playlist by tonight, send me a message. I've been kinda forgetful since---lately.” he was going to say something else there, “Do you still have my number?”

Turning to the entrance, he laughed, “Of course, I wouldn’t ever delete you, Luka. And hey, I’ll be back next week.”

Luka smiled slightly as he turned to wave goodbye a final time. He sighed as Sass appeared next to him, watching the other off the boat. He knew the blond knew about him, about where he went and why, but that just confused him as to why he wanted to spend time with him. Adrien  _ knew _ why he pushed people away, why he wanted to be alone. His kwami sat on his shoulder, waiting for him to say something as he tossed the book gently to the other end of the couch, “What do you think, Sass? Is he worth my time?”

“I would think anyone willing to take time out of their day to spend time with you is worth your time at least.” he offered as his master groaned, sinking into his blankets more. “I’m sssorry--”

“No, no Sass, you’re right. Absolutely correct. Just why does it have to be him?” Of anyone, he just doubted and would’ve never guessed that  _ Adrien _ was going to be the one to come back to offer friendship. Well. Maybe it was less unlikely than he thought. There was  _ something _ about the blond that was just...off. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he reminded him of someone else. But his kwami was right. Might as well give him a chance, if trends proved true, he’d get bored and move on in a few months anyway. Luka looked to his kwami, “You hungry?” he offered as he nodded enthusiastically in response. He pulled back the blankets, the cold February evening air hitting him hard as he stood up. Maybe it was time to open his heart again and let him in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!   
> things are starting to take off, huh? maybe? who knows.
> 
> also recently re-read everything i have and I make four (4!) references to Great Gatsby and honestly i have no idea why. i too find it entertaining.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading and sticking around through 25k words of buildup.  
> onto the Lukadrien!

February -3-

“Oh my god.” Luka groaned, falling back on his bed where he sat with the same uke he was playing when Chat returned the miraculous as Adrien came down the stairs, “You actually came.”

“I...yes? I said I would? I don’t know how to respond to such a warm welcome.” he adjusted his bag on his shoulder, “If you really want me to leave, I suppose we can both spend Valentine's Day alone.”

He strummed the instrument, “Well since you’re already here, might as well stick around. I’m really not a fan of celebrating this day. And a distraction wouldn’t hurt.”

Adrien shrugged, “I could imagine you feel that way currently, as it’s a one year celebration of something you didn’t particularly enjoy, but who knows what next year will hold. Or even the year after, maybe it’ll take ten years from now, but I bet you’ll come to enjoy this day again.”

“Well as long as it’s nothing like this year’s is playing out.” he propped himself on his elbows, “Did you have a plan or just wait to see what I was up to?”

“I feel like I’m auditioning to be your friend.”

“Okay, and?”

He shook his head, “Nah, that was a complete statement.” the two watched each other a moment, “I didn’t know you played ukulele.” he observed.

Luka sighed, pushing himself to sitting, “Yeah, I started a couple months ago. I prefer guitar by far, but they’re a lot to carry everywhere on top of everything else. Gets the feeling, but fun sized.” he moved the notebook he had next to him, “If you’re sticking around you can sit down.”

“Aw, sick.” he smiled, setting his bag by his feet as he sat on the edge of the bed, “So how’s everything been going?”

“Fine.” 

The blond nodded, “Cool cool.” he glanced at the other, who was carefully strumming different chords in various orders, as if trying to find the perfect balance. His room hadn’t changed much since the last time he visited nearly a year ago; the same posters of various bands hanging in a disorderly fashion over his bed, the main lights were off, illuminated by string lights dangling around the room. His bed, along with what he assumed was Juleka’s, was unmade, his grey sheets and several blankets strewn messily. His acoustic guitar was on its stand between the beds, various sheets of paper, some blank, some with notes scribbled on, littered his nightstand.

“You ever think how weird it is that you live on a boat?”

“Do you ever think how weird it is you live in a house completely devoid of love?” he snapped back, not skipping a beat.

Adrien’s mouth opened in offense, “Okay. _Rude_.”

The older boy shook his head, not looking up, “You’re not denying it.”

“Well you’re not _wrong_. It’s still not nice.” he looked at the other, who was biting back a smile, “You didn’t used to be this mean.”

He shrugged, “Sorry, I guess?” he picked up his pen from his bed, writing something in his notebook before setting it back down, strumming the uke again.

The blond watched him a moment, leaning back on his hands, the other clearly realizing he was being watched, but refusing to acknowledge him, “So whatcha writing? Some thoughts and ideas? A new song? Plan to set the world on fire?”

“It’s just some trash.”

“Well I doubt that. What’s it called?”

Luka shook his head, “I…” he paused, as if considering, “Untitled number...seventeen,” he sighed, not wanting to come up with something on the spot, “I don’t know. I haven’t named anything in some time.”

“So you’re proposing you’re just making some untitled trash.” Adrien clarified as the other shrugged, “Well that’s something already. But _seventeen_? Why don’t you name them?”

“Naming something doesn’t inherently give it value or make it better.”

“I suppose, but it’s definitely more approachable.” Adrien defended, pushing himself to sit in front of the other, crossing his legs in a mirrored fashion. Luka looked up at him with this movement, locking eyes only momentarily before quickly glancing away, prompting a smile from the blond, “I don’t see what reason you’d have for your works to _not_ be approachable.”

He shook his head, realizing he had no real answer, “Okay, I just haven’t gotten around to naming it, I guess? Maybe it’s a title within itself. Maybe it’s just an idea. Maybe it’s an accurate term for myself. Who knows.”

“You’re _not_ untitled trash, Luka. I’d see you more…” he paused, thinking of opposites for the two terms, “Titled treasure.”

He stared at him, opening his mouth to oppose before closing it. He strummed his intrument twice before changing his mind, “Hey, what the _fuck._ ”

Adrien laughed, “You know what I mean. I think you should view yourself and work in a better light. You’re really amazingly talented, and the pieces of music you make are absolutely beautiful. Far from trash.”

“I suppose if I actually started making shit again.” he mumbled.

“Have you not written any new music recently?” Luka shook his head as Adrien propped his elbow on his knee, leaning forward, intrigued, “Why not?”

“If I knew the reason, I would’ve dealt with it, rather than continuing to suffer and not be able to finish a piece. I dunno,” he exhaled, leaning back, “I had a lot of inspiration for a hot second, but it’s kinda fizzled out. Maybe I need to get back to the roots again.”

The blond nodded, “Maybe you need a new muse.”

Luka laughed at this, “A new one?”

“Well I dunno?” he smiled at his reaction, sitting up straight again, “What was inspiring you to write before?”  
“I wouldn’t say it was a muse of _any_ form.”

Adrien threw his hands up in defense, “Okay, gee. I’ve never written songs before, I just play other people’s. No source of inspiration needed for that.”

“That’s debatable.”

“Okay, sure, but it’s hardly the same.” The blond shrugged, propping his elbow on his knee, resting his face in his hand. The two fell into a silence, broken by Luka strumming a few things and the occasional comment from either of them. Adrien found great enjoyment watching the other playing, his face relaxed, but definitely thinking, glancing up only the first few times he felt himself being watched, eventually giving in, allowing the blond to observe limitlessly.

“I’m sorry. Thanks for taking time to actually spend time with me.” Luka eventually shrugged, looking at the blond, who did not divert his attention, “I get I’m not the most pleasant right now and I have no real excuse for being such an ass. I’m just being paranoid and annoying about letting people into my life again? A lot happened within the last year and I just spent the last so many months being so temporary in people’s lives.”

He bit his lip, “I can tell it’s just a surface act. I know you, Luka, I know it doesn’t seem like I was around much or for very long, but it feels like I’ve known you longer, regardless. I don’t know if you feel that too, or maybe my sleep deprivation and reliance on caffeine is finally catching up to me.” he grinned as the other laughed under his breath, “I’m glad you’re back, and I’m not going to let you push me away as easily as other people.”

“Alright, fine.” he shook his head, looking back down at the notes he had written in his notebook, “Don’t you have class tomorrow? Shouldn’t you be heading back home soon?”

Adrien nodded, hesitantly standing up, “Yeah, I suppose.” he picked up his bag from the floor as the other closed his notebook, watching the other struggle to slip his boots on, before standing back up, “Can we hug? I feel like a hug would be very fitting right now.”

Luka sighed, but set his ukulele to the side to stand up. He took a few steps towards him as Adrien wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him close, as his arms hesitantly made it around his neck. His enthusiasm was not matched, but the older boy would’ve been lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. The ease of his arms around him felt familiar in the best way, but it had been nearly a year since they’d found themselves like this before, so that didn’t make sense. “Have you always been this short?”

He felt the other laugh, “Okay, I’m _not_ short. I’m nearly as tall as you, like _two inches_.”

“Your father’s like iconically so tall I just assumed you’d actually have grown since the last time you hugged me.” Luka noted, pulling back to look at him, “Definitely at least least three. You just act taller than you are.”

This prompted a confused laugh, “First, I _have_. Second, debatable. Third, Okay? Thanks?”

He shook his head, smiling slightly as he sat back on his bed, “One way to take it, blondie. You’re welcomed back whenever you want, odds are one of us will be here. You seem just as enthused to hang with my mother or sister as you are with me.”

“Yeah, well Juleka is cool, and your mother is much more open about you than you are, so you can’t blame me on that.”

“Why do you care so much about knowing me?”

“Honest?”

“No, I want you to lie.”

Adrien smiled, rubbing the back of his head, “I always thought you were really cool. Like the day I met you I just really wanted to be your friend. You’re such an interesting, intriguing person, it’s kinda hard to explain,” he laughed nervously, “Last few times I’ve listened to my instincts have definitely been interesting and worthwhile, but I’m hoping it’s just going to be enjoyable and fun for once.” he shrugged, “You know?”

Luka watched him a moment before sighing, “Yeah. Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i recently re-read everything I have so far and lemme tell you what I learned: I want a hug.
> 
> luka: your father doesn't love you  
> adrien: >:o  
> adrien: u rite tho


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some boys talking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w  
> mentioning of recreational use of marijuana 
> 
> hmmmm lots of talking yo. I love making these two just tALK

Late March -3-

“Oh, you’re back?”

Adrien smiled, waving as he walked onto the boat, “Good morning, Luka, how’s it going?”

He had been swinging by and visiting nearly every week since Valentine’s day, consisting mostly of them sitting in each other’s silence, but Luka had definitely started opening up more, throughout the visits and throughout the weeks. Unfortunately Adrien’s life schedule was in chaos in preparation for his movie shoot starting the next week, and with Hawkmoth beginning to attack again, he didn’t have many opportunities to visit the Liberty. But he had to make time for him; he didn’t know _why_ he felt so drawn to the older boy, but it felt like something he needed to pursue. Luka's eyes narrowed as the other continued towards him, “Fine. Been better.”

“Hm. That’s unfortunate. Maybe we could do something to fix that?” he looked over as his mother emerged from the upstairs, “Good morning, Anarka.”

“Oh, is that Adrien? Luka, why didn’t you mention he was coming--”

“I didn’t know he was coming,” he said as the blond offered one of his dumb grins, “He’s convinced if he continues to harass me every week I’ll cave and let him into my life.”

He shrugged, “I only venture where I’m invited.”

“Well you are always more than welcome on the Liberty.” she smiled, pulling him into a hug, “Even if some seem less than enthused. He was about to head out on a walk, if maybe he would appreciate some company--”

The blond smiled, shifting his gaze to the older boy, “Yeah, I’d love that. But only if you want-- I really don’t want to overstep--”

Luka sighed, “No, it’s fine. I’d like that.” he shoved his hands in his pockets, passing the other to walk off the boat.

“In case I don’t see you later, it’s always so nice to see you Adrien. I hope to see you more often, always so sweet.” she had a twinkle in her eyes as he nodded, “And he really does enjoy you-- he’s been having a hard time lately--”

He glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if he had left, but found him waiting, looking up at the clouded sky, “That’s nice to hear. I really enjoy him too. I’m relieved he doesn’t automatically associate me with, you know,” he shrugged as she pressed her lips together, understandingly.

“How is Marinette doing? She’s such a sweet girl, and I really do still care for her.”

“Oh, she’s doing okay. Much better than a year ago, that’s for sure. Been keeping herself busy.” he nodded, unsure what else to say without going too deep.

“And how have you been, dear?”

“Good, good. Unfortunately I’m actually going to be gone for a bit in a few weeks, I’ve got some stuff for the brand and whatnot.” he waved his hand dismissively, “I’ll definitely swing by again before then though.”

\----

“Well hey, thanks for waiting.” he smiled as the other didn’t say anything, beginning their walk down the river, “How’s everything been going?”

“Yeah, I suppose things have been fine. My life isn’t nearly as exciting as yours is, but it’s been nice. Calm for the most part.” Viperion had been called to _one_ fight the last month and the tension and frustration between the heroes was _definitely_ noteworthy, giving Chat the impression Ladybug was going to avoid calling on him for a hot second.

“You writing again?”

He shrugged, “I’m getting them written down at least. Or recorded. Still far from complete songs, but it’s something. Thanks to you, I suppose.” he paused, “It's still just various versions of untitled trash-- oh wait, I got a job-- that’s something that happened.”

Adrien smiled, “That’s exciting. What is it?”

“I’m actually teaching guitar to 10 year olds down at the community centers. It’s really fun watching them learn the basics. It was so long ago since a guitar wasn’t familiar to me,” he looked down at his hands, prompting the other to glance too, “I was much younger than them when I started, but it's never too late to learn.”

“Would you ever be willing to teach me?”

Luka studied him a moment, “Do you really want to?”

He nodded, “I can’t promise how good I’d be, I am just a pianist, through and through with-- what did you say--” Adrien leaned towards him as he laughed, “My dainty sensitive hands?”

“Okay, I said delicate and soft-- but dainty and sensitive both apply too.” he shrugged as the other nudged him with his shoulder, “Don’t you use your hands for anything?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he quipped back as Luka laughed again, “I don’t know, I moisturize? I honestly do a _lot_ with my hands.”

“I think I play too much to get my hands to be significantly soft again. Even when away and I wasn’t really playing they didn’t get better. Marinette always prefered holding my right because it’s not as callused,” he looked at his hands closely before looking at the blond, who was watching him, “What?”

Adrien shook his head, “Nothing in particular. Do you have any other plans, like performing or finding a band since Kitty Section is...no more?”

“Well, yes. I was also considering going back to school in the fall. Maybe the spring,” he glanced at the other, who was intrigued, “Take some music classes. Wanna y’know, mix things up or whatnot. I think I should give education another go, hopefully have my life a bit more together for the spring term.”

He nodded, “Well no one knows what life is going to be like a year from now. We can all guess and speculate but I didn’t think I was going to be here a year ago.” he smiled, “That’s fun though. What would you go for?”

“I have no idea.”

“Would you consider music therapy? Or are you more music theory minded?”

“Once again, I have no idea.”

The blond shrugged, “You just seem to really enjoy and understand the beauty and creation of music in such a way that I think you could really help people.”

“Wow. Thanks? I guess I might look into it. Music was such a healing part of my life that I’d want to share with others,” he paused, thinking, “I never saw the appeal of being famous, like, that must _suck_ ,” Adrien opened his mouth to defend, but closed it quickly, “I love performing with people to create and experience it all together, and even small solo gigs to witness people’s reactions right there. For family, friends, random people living in the moment to forget about me the next week. I don’t want to be so famous, I just want to sing until I die. Create forever.”

He smiled at his passion, “I like that. I always--” he stopped as the two teenaged girls in light jackets passing them waved at him bashfully before he offered a smile, politely waving back, “ _Bonjour_ ,” sending them a fit of giggles they attempted to keep calm.

Luka glanced over his shoulder at them after they passed, catching them as they slowed to a stop to watch the pair walk away. He shook his head before looking back to the blond, who shoved his hands in his pockets, “Is that normal?”

Adrien shrugged, “It happens, and I really don’t mind. Sometimes people feel the need to touch me, which I’m _fine_ with but, y’know, a heads up is nice. But them seeing me made their day, and I just want people to be happy.”

“Simple as that, huh.”

“Well _some people_ aren’t as enthused by my presence,” he joked, nudging the other with his shoulder, causing Luka to laugh.

“Yeah, well some people don’t see you as the pretty boy get-up you’re strutting around on.”

“Oh yeah? And what _do_ you see me as?”

The older boy glanced him over for a moment as he waited for his answer, amused, “You want to make everyone else happy with the hopes that one day that’ll be enough to make you happy. Because you’re not now.”

Adrien hesitated before laughing at the accusation, “Alright, okay. We’ve got a bit of a darker approach than I was expecting--”

“But am I wrong?”

“Most people have many faces.”

“Edgy. Okay.” Luka shook his head as the other laughed again, following him up the flight of stairs to the main street, “I suppose we’re both right. Are you content with walking around, living life under a get-up you don’t really enjoy?”

“I never said I didn’t enjoy it.”

Luka looked at him, slowing down to lean on the bridge railing, folding his arms, “Wouldn’t you rather be you?”

“I _am_ me.” he joined him, leaning over the railing, watching the water pass under them, “The faces are all different, but they’re all mine. The Adrien Agreste experience is different for each person, and just like how the Luka Couffaine experience is too.”

“No, I get _that_. Acting different around different people is relatively normal.” he rested his chin in his hand, thinking of another way to make his point, “But like, who do you act the most natural around? When do you really feel like you? I doubt your answer is anything remotely related to your publicity stunts and pretty-boy get-up.”

The blond looked at him, “Okay, and?”

“I don’t remember.” he mumbled before laughing, “God. You’re a weird kid, and kinda annoying, you know that?”

He nodded, “I’ve been told.”

“Well that’s rude.”

“You _literally_ just told me--”

“I know, I know, but I meant it in a more endearing term.” he shook his head as the other continued to watch him for a moment before looking back to the water. A silence shuffled in, but they continued, unbothered, to watch the river beneath them. A few minutes passed before Luka ventured, “So anything new in your life, blondie?”

Adrien laughed, “You want this nickname to stick, huh?”

He shrugged, “Suits you.”

He shook his head, amused, “I mean, sure, fine. But no, nothing new going on. I mean, a lot going on, but nothing new. You know what I mean--”

“Yeah. You are one to do it all.” he paused, glancing at him, “How _do_ you have time to be here?”

“Well, I always make time for my friends,” he teased, sliding closer to the other, who laughed at his implication, “But it’s a uh...balancing act for sure. Lots of sneaking out, and in general not being where I’m supposed to be. Chloe’s a great cover, and Kagami was good for a bit, but we got busted, plus she’s leaving in August. But at least I’ll have the summer with her.” he glanced at Luka, who nodded, “Sorry, probably don’t care what she’s up to, especially with all that happened.”

Luka clicked his tongue, “Hey now, I’m not one to hold a grudge--”

“Okay, if I said this even two weeks ago--”

“A lot can change in a few weeks.” he looked at the blond, who leaned closer, as if inspecting him, “What?”

“You just seem to be doing better. Haven’t said anything too rude to me today.”

“I _just_ called you annoying.”

“We can agree I deserved that. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d actually started to enjoy spending time with me.” they watched each other for a moment, neither backing down, “Or maybe you’re just high.”

The older boy bit back a laugh, “Okay,” he shook his head, “Do I seem like the type of person to-- _okay_ \--” he laughed as Adrien turned a palm up, “At 11am on a Sunday. Is that what you take me for? I was hanging out with my _mother_.”

“I assumed Anarka isn’t one to care.”

“Oh, she isn’t, but it’s still morning; I wait until noon _at least_.”

Adrien laughed, “Right, sorry, sorry, my mistake. Didn’t mean to judge you and your smoking habits.”

He shrugged, “You probably don’t dabble too much in that, huh?”

The blond leaned closer, “Oh the things you just don’t know about me.”

“Really now?” Luka nodded slowly, amused as he looked him up and down, “Do I get to find out, or are you just trying to tempt me to caring about you?”

He smiled, “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

“Or you could tell me everything right now and dip out of my life forever,” he shrugged, standing up to continue walking across the bridge, “Your call.”

Adrien’s mouth opened in offense before following him, “Is that what you’d like? Look me in the face and tell me you’d be okay with never seeing me again.”

Luka laughed under his breath, looking at him, “No I wouldn’t like that. Hatred isn’t very punk rock, and I don’t hate you. I’m a little skeptical of you, let’s get that out there. Plus, I’m having a lot of fun making these playlists,” he nudged him with his shoulder, “I think you’re pretty cool.”

“Thanks? I--” he stopped, cut off by his phone vibrating aggressively from his back pocket, “Hang on--” he shook his head as he looked at his screen, scrunching his face, “Shoot dang. I’ve gotta go.” he typed something into his phone before pocketing it, “Hey, so I’ll swing by sometime this week. I don’t know when so I don’t want to get your hopes up with a day I can’t really commit to.”

He nodded, “Yeah, whenever you have time. I’ll send you another playlist tonight.”

“That would be amazing.” he offered a grin, walking backwards back over the bridge in the direction they came from, snapping and pointing finger guns back at him, “I hope to see you and your...face again. Bye Luka!”

The older boy laughed, watching him continue off the bridge before he turned, glancing around as he offered one final wave, his smile still visible before he quickly turned a corner, “What a weird kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what a weird kid.
> 
> I was gonna say this is the only chapter i have where a hug doesn't take place, but i am a fool
> 
> I might start writing short one-shots while finishing (we're not even close to halfway idk why i'm saying 'finishing' like it's anything cLOSE to that stage) this now that i have it ~established~ and a formal ending in sight. we'll see how that goes. I've got (more) midterms to write and letters of rec to follow up on.
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play helpless by Neon Trees*
> 
> I think I actually cut the part where I originally mention it  
> or maybe it's still in there and i dont' remember it iS mentioned later too tho
> 
> but Luka def knows Ladybug=Marinette

April -3-

Luka sighed, hopping off his bike and slinging his guitar over his shoulder. It had been a few weeks since, well,  _ anything _ had happened. Adrien ran off that one time and besides a few texts to thank for the playlists, and the vague promises that he was, in fact, alive, he hadn’t heard from him, much less seen him. He didn’t want to ask Juleka, and open that whole box of questions, and he definitely didn’t want to admit he missed him and his spontaneous visits.

There also weren’t any akuma attacks, which was, well, odd, but he wouldn’t have been called to the fight anyway; Marinette, well,  _ Ladybug _ was definitely trying her best to remain unbiased and at least neutral towards him, but it was clear she was uncomfortable. She was likely still disappointed Chat gave him the miraculous back, but he was thankful the cat was always enthusiastic to see him, well,  _ when  _ he saw him. In the past few weeks, they had added Rena, Carapace, Pegasus, and Ryuko as of their last training session, but Chat wasn’t there. He attempted to ask the other heroes, but they all shrugged it off, saying something about him being busy or what not. Thankfully, Ryuko was more than okay with his quiet and chose to be his partner for the time being.

Pushing his bike onto the boat, he stopped, noticing the very blond plaguing his thoughts with his back to him, “Oh, hey Chat.”

The hero turned, slightly surprised as if not ready or expecting the encounter, “Hey there Luka--” he waved, smiling before rubbing the back of his head.

“Look who I finally met.” Juleka said, stepping around him to tease her brother, “Well, formally, me being akumatized so many times hardly counts. He’s actually pretty chill, I suppose I can see why you like him so much.”

He hesitated, leaning his bike against the railing, “Yeah?”

Chat smiled before turning back to Juleka, explaining something in a hushed voice he couldn’t quite make out. He watched her nod understandingly, holding her right hand with her left, almost protectively. Luka removed his guitar, leaning it against the chair as he folded his arms, spacing out on a spot on the ground as he waited for the two to finish. This was a lot happening to try and work through so suddenly. So  _ clearly _ Chat was giving Juleka a miraculous, but he couldn’t fathom which one, and-- oh  _ fuck _ she would hold a grudge for him not telling her. He probably shouldn’t know, right? Marinette  _ knew _ how much he trusted and told his sister  _ everything _ and secrets weren’t really a thing between them. And to send Chat instead, he sighed, definitely appreciating the visitor, but not the best planning on her part.

So what was he doing where he would miss training sessions, but still able to hand out a new miraculous on a Wednesday morning? Well, it  _ was _ spring break, and Chat was likely at least in his last year of school, or maybe even Juleka’s age? Definitely a bit younger than him, for sure. Luka, at one point, did spend a decent amount of time attempting to figure out the age of the hero, mostly out of curiosity, but he said a lot of contradicting facts, making him question and doubt nearly everything. Good planning on the hero’s part; no one had even the foggiest idea who he was, himself included. Everyone was already within the same friend group, as Marinette chose all the other heroes, but since Master Fu was the one who found Chat, he could be  _ anyone _ .

He glanced back to them; the hero still had his back to him, patiently listening to whatever she was asking him. He had been thinking about the hero quite often, sharing a space in his head with the other blond, but for  _ significantly _ different reasons. Adrien, more confusion and appreciation of his presence, and Chat more suggestive and  _ craving _ his presence. But since December, he’d only been thinking about the potential, and he just needed a solid answer from the cat for once and all, if anything to put his brain to rest and move on. God, Marinette was right; it was a dumb crush he should’ve given up on years ago.

A few minutes passed before the hero glanced back at him, still addressing Juleka, “Sorry, I’ve gotta run. Got a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it.” he explained, starting off the boat, passing him with a wave and one of his typical grins.

Luka looked at his sister for a moment before quickly following him off the boat, “Hey, Chat, wait--” the hero stopped, retracting his staff as he turned to look at him, “Hey, sorry if you need to go--”

“I’ve always got time for you, scales.” he smiled, moving his staff to his right hand, “Not a lot, but that’s all relative anyway. What’s up?”

“Are you okay? Where have you been?”

The hero nodded, “I’m fine, super great, actually. I’ve been around, saving Paris on the odd days. Personal life has been busy, but I won’t get into that.” he shrugged, leaning closer, “Can’t tell you too much and have you find out who I am. Who knows what could happen there?”

He shook his head, “Oh you dumb cat,” he mumbled, causing him to laugh, “So everything is okay? You’re fine? Training would be more fun with you.”

The blond grinned, “Arguably better than ever. How is training going? Ryuko is a fun partner if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, she’s great, but I’d rather be with you.”

He watched him a moment before laughing, “Okay, alright. You’re a good kid, Luka. Maybe we can partner up one day. How are you doing? You haven’t called me so is it safe to assume you’re doing more okay?” he nodded as Chat leaned forward, resting on his staff, “Maybe there’s someone else in your life? I know that I’m not all that you’ve got.”

Luka smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he too leaned closer, remembering the other reason he wanted to stop the cat, “Oh, well, seems like you  _ now  _ know Juleka, but that’s odd, back in December I recall you mentioning stopping by and meeting her--”

The hero sucked in his teeth, realizing he was caught in the act, “I can explain?”

“Please.”

“Well.” he paused, watching him a moment before laughing, “I owe you nothing. I do care about you, and that’s all you need to know.”

He waited a moment before realizing he wasn’t going to continue, “Alright, I get it.” he laughed, not really satisfied with his answer, but knew he wasn’t going to say anymore on the topic, “Your way is just barely more acceptable than Adrien Agreste just walking into my house to check in on me on a spontaneous weekly basis.”

His eyebrows raised at the mention of the other, “Oh, so I  _ was _ right, you do have someone else.” he teased, bouncing back to his usual self, “Seems like someone always needs a pretty blond in his life.”

Luka laughed, shaking his head, “Pretty? Him? Yeah, I guess. You? Complete understatement.” Chat bit back a laugh, “No one’s going to replace you.”

“Boy, are we getting romantic on the shore of the Seine.” he joked as his staff beeped with a notification. He retracted it and glanced at it, ultimately ignoring it, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to balance the both of us in your life. Still haven’t met him yet, maybe you could introduce us?”

He shrugged, glancing down the river at nothing in particular, “I mean, yeah he’s chill, but it’s been a hot second since he’s even come by,” exhaling a laugh, he shook his head, “Seems like I always like the people who have so much happening in their lives, huh.” he paused, “Shit sorry, you’ve got things to do. Sorry for rambling your face off.”

“I really don’t mind.” he offered one of his dumb grins, reassuring he was actually fine, “You lead a fun life, and I love hearing you talk. I  _ am  _ just a normal Parisian teenager under this leather get-up.”

Luka looked him up and down, opening his mouth to say something before choosing against it. This dumb cat. Every time he’d think he’d be fine, he’d come waltzing back into his life, as nonchalant and goofy, plucking his heartstrings before leaving without a signal for a next visit. Just seeing him he could feel his cool melt away, leaving him a complete, utter mess, “Well maybe one day I’ll get to see what you’re like without it?” he stopped, watching him raise his eyebrows at the implication, “I meant in civilian clothes, not--”

Chat laughed, rocking back on his heels, “Well that’s a disappointing correction--” it was Luka’s turn to flush a dark red, “Hate to rush out on such a fun flirt session with you, but I shouldn't keep Ladybug waiting too long.”

“Wait, so what were you doing here?”

He laughed, spinning his staff in his hand, “You’re a smart kid, you can figure that out.” in a more hushed voice, “Ladybug can’t know I was caught so like, keep it quiet.”

“Anything for you, Chat. Are you going to be at training next week?” he asked as he started to turn, stopping him.

“Oh, no. My life is in absolute chaos right now. It’s a whole thing I will not be discussing further,” he stopped, holding his completely retracted staff with both of his hands to watch him. Luka always felt so incredibly  _ helpless _ , captivated by his brilliant cat-like eyes, as he watched right back, equally entranced by his blue ones. He took a step closer, smirk flirting on both of their lips before Chat pouted, “I don’t regret what happened, so don’t think that. You just really deserve someone who will adore you for everything you are,” he smiled softly as Luka nodded, “Plus I’m a hero?” he laughed, “I mean, you are too-- and I love hanging with you, but it’s not realistic. You’ve gotta find a real girl. Boy? Person?”

Luka smiled, “Look at this cat, being inclusive. Person works. But you know me, why can’t I know you? I just don’t understand why my love isn’t good enough?” 

“I really like you, Luka. And I get how all you heroes really know each other and everyone’s identities, and that’s fun and great, but I’m not one of you? And that’s like, fine,” he smiled, “But I know I can’t let you come any closer. No one can know who I am. We really can’t let this cat out of the bag,” This time Chat took a step towards him, attaching his staff to his back, “I just don’t know if I like you like that? It’s not really something I want to spend time worrying about right now, I shouldn’t force you through that, you’re clearly very confident in who you are. ”

_ Oh. _ He glanced down at his hands. He never did consider; he always had such a confident energy he simply assumed he was so on top of everything in his life, “I’d be willing to help. Just get to know me? If not, I am more than willing to wait.”

Chat’s staff beeped with another notification, which he completely ignored as he smiled, shaking his head, “You’ll figure it out.”

He looked at him, expecting him to continue, “Figure  _ what _ out?”

“Chat Noir.”

They both turned towards the voice as Ladybug landed, walking towards them, “Oh hello, bugaboo--”

“No-- I just watched you blatantly ignore my messages.”

“I was going to get to it.”

She stopped, looking between the two, “So what’s this?”

“Well, oh, my mistake, how rude of me, m’lady, this is Luka Couffaine, you might know him as Viperion,” he set his hands on his shoulders, as if presenting him, “You probably know him, I swear you two have met before.”

Ladybug glanced at Luka before glaring at Chat, “Is this why you wanted to come here?”  _ Oh _ , so it  _ was _ his idea. She really wasn’t one to plan things poorly.

“I wouldn’t say that-- I don’t know his life schedule, I could’ve easily as not run into him-- besides, I miss the heroes.” he pouted, resting his chin on his left hand still on his shoulder, “Let me catch up for a few minutes with my second favorite-- after you, of course.”

“Chat, it is hardly my fault that you have all your life emergencies happening at once and only making you available at bizarre one hour intervals, causing you to miss our training sessions which were, your idea might I add--” she exhaled, calming herself, “You just made a point to hurry and be done soon, and we still have some things to talk about.”

“Yeah, but I’ve always got time for Luka.” he said, loosely wrapping his arms around his neck, Luka  _ very _ aware of his body pressing against his. God this was such a dumb collѐge crush.

She paused and sighed, “Okay, well we should still go now.”

The hero groaned, dropping his head as he hung his weight on Luka, who really did not know what to do, physically or situationally in general. This did not last long as Chat quickly popped back up, unfazed, “Chill. Let’s do this.”

“Sure you don’t need to say a heartfelt goodbye? Sing a serenade maybe? It’s been a few weeks since we’ve heard your voice.” she teased, gesturing to the other as Chat walked to join her, “We both know you’re always one for the dramatics.”

He stopped, as if truly considering for a second before shaking his head, “No, nah, not now. Raincheck?” he asked, snapping his fingers to make finger guns, pointing back to Luka, before addressing Ladybug again, “I’m kinda done with the singing thing, we’ve got nearly everyone and it’s just a lot--”

“Shhh… I know kitty, you’ve told me before.” Ladybug laughed. Oh wow. He did not like hearing her call him that.  _ Jealousy? _ Oh fuck he was in trouble-- and she  _ knew _ \-- “It’s good to see you, Luka,” she smiled softly as he nodded back, “Things going okay?”

“Yeah, fine.” he shoved his hands in his pockets, watching Chat as he grabbed his staff, “Training still on Saturday?”

She nodded, thankfully realizing he wasn’t in the mood to talk to her, “It’s great to see you, but we’ve gotta go. See you then?” she asked, pulling out her yo-yo, “C’mon, Chat.”

“I’ll be there.” she nodded as she threw it, waving before flying away.

Chat hesitated, taking a few steps closer to him, “I’m sorry? Maybe we could raincheck another conversation like this? You’re really great, Luka. People are lucky to know you, so you should really let more in to have the whole, Luka Couffaine--” he gestured to him vaguely, “deal?”

He laughed under his breath, “Yeah, sure. Just for you, kitty.”

Smiling as he shook his head, “Oh I sure still hate that.”

Luka smiled softly, thinking of the words from the other blond, “I just want you to be happy, Chat.”

The hero’s mouth opened slightly, almost taken back by his words, “And that’s all I want for you too.” the two watched each other a moment before he offered one of his dumb grins, “Stay safe, and see you...soon, maybe? Bye Luka!” he waved before extending his staff, jumping away.

Laughing under his breath, he watched the hero disappear from sight early on; the vantage point from the Liberty was not the best to watch your superhero crush hop off into the midday sun. He’d told Adrien he wasn’t ready for a relationship again, which was  _ true _ , but he felt absolutely helpless with the hero. He’d forgiven Mari, but he wasn’t even ready to trust and open to new people, yet alone a committed romantic relationship. Frustrated, he flipped his hood up, shoving his hands in his pockets as he groaned, turning back to the boat to talk to Juleka, definitely a good distraction. 

He noticed his kwami appear next to him, “Hey Sass, I think you’ve got a new boatmate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tag yourself i'm chat unintentionally being his own wingman
> 
> pls don't ask what her hero name is yet i don't have to address it for like three more chapters i'm sTILL thinking
> 
> also but also there's a buildup to a fun. reference that starts and goes until a nov -3- (which is like 20-ish chapters from now) and it's mostly to remind myself and note it here.
> 
> thanks for reading! I appreciate you a lot!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of something?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay most chapters are my boys talking.

Early May -3-

“Knock, knock, good morning~”

Luka, recognizing his voice, sat up abruptly from how he was laying on the couch, legs over the armrest. He didn’t say anything as he watched the blond walk on the boat, nonchalant as if it hadn’t been several weeks since his last visit.

“What?” he half laughed, setting his bag down, collapsing on the chair, “Oh, I brought croissants.” he shrugged, tossing the paper bag on the coffee table.

They watched each other, Adrien having absolutely no idea what the other boy was thinking, but he definitely was. He opened his mouth to speak, choosing against it to fold his arms, as if inspecting him.

“Can I  _ help  _ you?” he laughed again, breaking the observation period, “I don’t expect to hear it from you, but I hecking  _ missed _ you. I’ve got all day to catch up. Today is fully scheduled as a Luka day.” he grinned, leaning forward, “Unless you’re busy, then we can work out something tomorr---ooooh that wouldn’t work…. We’ll see what we need.”

He sighed, “Okay. Hello. What have  _ you  _ been up to?”

“What’s it matter? I asked you first.”

“Fine fine fine. Brief run down: played some music, talked to some people, that’s about like, 97% of what happened. Now you.”

“This reaction is like. Mostly my hair, right?” he nodded, “Yeah, we uhhhhh….cut it.” he ran his hands through it, shorter, but still its classic blond fluffiness on top, but under, hidden mostly with his hair down, a sharp faded undercut going around his head, “It used to be long enough to put up in one--”

“Were you rocking a little ponytail for a while?” he asked in disbelief.

Adrien shook his head, allowing his hair to fall, “No, nah, not the look for me. No, it uh...we permed it? So it was curly.” Luka’s mouth dropped open in excited disbelief, “Alright, calm down, it’s just hair, yo. You said it before.”

“ _ Please _ tell me you have pictures.”

He laughed, “If me changing my hair was all it took for you to open up like this, I would’ve done it  _ months _ ago.”

“So why? Seems extreme for a shoot.”

“Well yeah, geez. No, I was filming a movie- well I’m  _ in  _ the movie. And we also did the promo shoots while there. I’ve been in Paris a bit these past weeks, but just a day or two for school, you know,” he shrugged, nonchalant, “We were mostly filming in Prague and near there.”

Luka genuinely smiled, “Prague was one of my favorites.”

“Maybe we could go together some day?” he offered.

This idea did not completely offend him. Initially annoyed by him, the time apart made him...miss the blond? He was such a soft person, but definitely had an underlying level of cockiness and ability to call out bullshit that came out, reminding him of someone familiar, someone comforting, almost. Deflecting his question, he asked, “What’s the movie about?”

“Nuh uh uh. Can’t talk about it, and it’s not even coming out for almost a year. Stick around and maybe you’ll be my plus one to the premiere.” he joked, leaning back in the chair, “What were you up to today?”

He shrugged, “I’ve actually been working on some songs. Thinking about recording the parts. I’ve got like one and half ideas floating around on top of the two I’m in the process of writing...plus…” he trailed off, thinking.

“Well if you ever need a piano played I’ve got you covered, so don’t hesitate to ask.” he said, giving him finger guns as he pulled his feet up to sit on, “Other than that I don’t know how much help I could offer.”

Luka looked at him, deep in thought over something, “Okay. Yeah. You can make a keyboard work, right?” he asked, standing up.

“If there are keys I can finger just about anything.” he offered, jazz fingers and all.

He stared at him, “You-”

“Hm?” his head tilted to the side, confused as he dropped his hands.

Holding back a laugh, Luka bit his lip, shaking his head, “Nothing, it’s just-- Hey why don’t you head down and I’ll grab the board and--yeah?”

He nodded, “Yeah. Absolutely. Chill.”

\---

“Okay, it should be good. Give it a whirl.”

He placed his hands, playing what seemed like an upbeat opening tidbit to a song Luka didn’t recognize. “No?  _ The Gambler _ ? It’s chill, fine. What have we got going?” he gestured to the piles of paper scattered around them, “What fun songs are we fixin up today?”

The older boy strummed a few times on his guitar, “Just some more untitled trash.”

“Oh well I doubt that, my titled treasure.” he teased, leaning to look, trying to read some of the pieces, causing the other to look up, as if suddenly self conscious of ideas, “Are you going to sing for me?”

“Not for you, but it is a part of the song writing. I’m gonna use you while you’re here to fix some of the other instrumental parts.”

“Well good thing I’m down to be used.”

The other boy stared at him, before shaking the comment off, shuffling through some pages, mumbling under his breath, “Would you be willing to--”

“I don’t sing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

His mouth opened, offended, “Okay? What--”

“Come on, I’ve heard you sing along to--”

“You  _ cannot _ pretend it’s the same.”

Luka groaned, “You’re good at like everything you do. You’re probably a great singer too, if you, you know, actually sing.”

He held a finger up, “Okay, first. It’s not that I’m not bad at anything, I just don’t do the things I’m bad at. Really simple. But singing is like a whole other thing--”

“Is this more a thing you will absolutely never do ever or will you open up to the possibility eventually?” Adrien tilted his head, confused by the question, “Nevermind, I suppose I’ll find out.”

“Are you going to try and wear me down? That’s rude.”

The older boy shook his head, smiling, “Do not put words like that in my mouth.”

“I’m going to avoid putting anything in your mouth, especially words, but okay.” Luka bit back a laugh as he pouted, “Stop your mind, my god. I think I’m going to be done talking for now. Just give me some notes to play.”

He looked at him, amused as he set his hands on the board, intentionally not looking at him, “Well, if you change your mind, let me know-- and I mean mostly about the singing.” he watched his face darken at the implication. Luka found the utmost entertainment in this newfound discovery; he’d never witnessed the blond react in such a way. “But here, could you crank this out?” he placed a few sheets on the holder, “They’re a bit messy, let me know if you have questions or concerns or ideas.”

Adrien took the page to see better, mumble-singing under his breath and fingering the air. He did the same with the following pages before nodding, “Yeah. Cool cool. Just- right now?”

Luka smiled, “Preferably sooner than later. No pressure for it to be perfect either. It’s just some trash. Doesn’t even have a name yet.” he adjusted his grip on his guitar, “Also I’m going to ask you to play it like forty more times. Just as a heads up.”

\---

“So did you find a band?”

He nodded, “Indeed I did. We’ve only practiced like twice, I’m replacing their old guitarist who had to move back to Canada for family or something-- but we’re already looking to replace the bassist. The old one was arrested last week.”

Adrien pressed his lips together, “That’s...uh….a lot. Do you like them?”

The two had gone up to the deck after a few hours of fixing and finalizing some of his songs, “Yeah, they’re chill.” he watched as the other turned on the couch, tucking his feet under, leaning against his propped elbow to face him better, clearly showing interest, “It’s weird, the last band I was in was Kitty Section-- oh shit, I forgot you were in it too for a bit--” he shrugged, unoffended, “But I’m the youngest one now, rather than the oldest.”

“That’s probably a weird shift, huh.”

“Yeah, but it’s nice,” he pulled his feet up, sitting criss-cross, “I get to help write and whatnot, but they really don’t expect me to have answers for everything. Beck and Samra-- our singer and keyboardist-- are the original members, and they’re 25, 26? Then there’s Zeph, the drummer, and I don’t know what’s up with them, but I think they like me just fine.”

He nodded, thinking, “Do you sing for them or is it just your solo work?”

Luka shrugged, “Beck mentioned me singing but also depends on our bassist. I love doing both, but I solo so many songs I really wouldn’t mind just playing for them.”

“So I know you play guitar and uke--” he nodded, “And you clearly know enough piano to get by, but do you play anything else? Do you want to learn anything else?” he asked, running his hand through his hair absentmindedly.

He laughed, “Alright, gee, you’re asking a lot of Luka questions today.”

“Alright gee, I want to know more about you. Got me.” he joked back, “Genuinely curious about my friend. No hidden agenda from me, I swear.”

“Well how do you know that I don’t have one?”

The pair watched each other, Adrien’s mouth half opened, on the verge of saying something, as Luka stared back, a half smirk on his face. Their trance was broken by the blond laughing, “I don’t have an answer for you. Guess I gotta just trust you? Is that a good idea? Time will tell.”

“I suppose it will.”

They began watching each other again, as if enchanted by the other’s eyes. This time much more short lived before Adrien nudged his leg with this foot, “I asked you a question.”

“What? Oh, yeah.” he clicked his tongue, “Bass too. I picked up a bit of violin at the uhh, clinic,” he knew Adrien knew about his past, but he really did not feel ready to open up about it, even to him. Especially to him. “But I doubt I remember much, it’s been a few years. I don’t see a point in most woodwind instruments so I never saw a reason to learn to play any of them.”

This prompted the blond to laugh, “Tell me how you really feel, please don’t hold back.”

“It’s not that they individually are bad, I just personally don’t see a reason for me to learn.” he explained, amused by his reaction, “Oh god, please don’t tell me you also play flute or something.”

He shook his head, “Offended you even considered. No, I’m just a pianist, through and through. I love it. My cousin Felix plays the french horn, and he’s taught me a good share these past few years, so I suppose I could take up some brass instrument, if I so desired.”

“Hmm…” Luka nodded, looking him up and down, “I don’t really see it, but I guess trumpet? If you’ve got some real big ego you’ve been hiding.”

He laughed harder than anticipated, thinking of what he would say to Chat as the other raised an eyebrow skeptically, “Nah, it’s nothing,” he waved his hand dismissively, “What about cello? Any interest in that?”

“Wait, do  _ you _ play cello?”

“Not well, but my mother did and I’ve had a bit of free time this past year, so I’ve been just messing around. It’s,” he shrugged, “comforting, I guess.”

Luka nodded, “Music is like that. It’s why I love it.” he paused, “It’s a real shame you don’t sing.”

Adrien groaned, falling backwards, head on the armrest as he rubbed his face, “Why.”

“I just think, other than you’re probably a decent singer, you just seem like the type of person who really appreciates the lyrical and musical qualities in songs, and I think, if you did both, you’d be a real force to be reckoned with.”

“I just play the piano. Just a pretty boy hitting some keys a paper tells me to.” he stretched his legs out, stopping just short of touching the other.

“I’ve seen videos of you playing. Downstairs even though it’s just an old keyboard, you were playing with such passion and love for...everything. You’ve got a real hopeful spirit, Adrien. I would absolutely love to like, write music with you. Not just you helping me fix what I tried.”

He laughed, “Sure. Okay, fine. Maybe I’ll sing eventually if, and especially if, you leave me alone about it. It may happen eventually.”

Luka smiled at his caving, “You wanna know who’s a surprising good singer?” he didn't give him time to guess, “Chat Noir.”

Well. Fuck. He knew he’d regret his singing kick during the transition back to the full team to, y’know, keep the morale high and whatnot. But-- nah, no way he’d make the connection. Besides, he really liked Chat, and was clearly just barely tolerating him, so there was definitely no connection being made between the two. Adrien sat back up, watching him as he tapped some pattern out on his knee, lost in his thoughts; he felt  _ comfortable _ with him, this felt  _ right _ . He wanted to know him in every way possible, and see him as happy as he was the few times he saw him with Mari all those years ago. That wasn’t weird, right?

His thoughts were cut off by Luka’s phone going off, a pop-y song he recognized, “Ah, shit--” he mumbled, as the song continued to play. “I’ll be right back, just gotta--” he silenced the song before setting his phone down and slipping down the stairs.

Plagg appeared as he vanished, “What’s your deal, kid?”

“How’s Sass doing? What are you going about?”

The kwami sighed, “Adrien. Kid. I’m not going to call you master because I think we’re beyond that.” he nodded, folding his arms, “I know you’re looking to be friends, which I support, whole-heart and I love hanging with Sass--”

“Your point?” he was more amused than annoyed.

“I’ve watched you for years, kid. He’s  _ in love  _ with you as Chat, and that’s gonna be a double whammy when he falls for you, plus what about that whole bridge gimmick--”

Adrien shook his head, “I appreciate the concern, really. But Luka is my  _ friend _ . He’s not going to ~fall in love~ with me, that’s the  _ point _ . He loves me as a hero, he’s not going to love me as myself,  _ especially _ as myself.”

“Isn’t that the exact reason why you gave up on Ladybug? Because she  _ didn’t _ like you as Chat, and therefore didn’t like you as you? Or am I remembering incorrectly?” his kwami pressed, knowing he was definitely right, “It’s almost like you just don’t  _ want _ people to love you.”

He pressed his lips together, ignoring the last statement altogether, “Okay,  _ yeah _ . But like  _ he doesn’t like me like that _ . He’s going to get over being in love with Chat and we’re going to hang out like friends do and have a good time, playing music, enjoying life. The bridge was a mistake, and not that it matters, but I’m not gay, Plagg.”

“Okay so what’s actually going to happen is that he might get over Chat-- god this is so dumb, you do realize you are Chat Noir, right?” Adrien laughed, but didn’t necessarily confirm, “But you’re going to be having fun, enjoyable, nonconsequential in your eyes, you’re already so Chat-like around him it’s honestly unreal, and he’s going to fall in love with you,  _ again _ .”

“That’s kinda ridiculous. It’s just like Chloe, or Mari, or Nino--”

“Everyone you just listed-- nevermind. Be careful kid. Follow your heart.”

He laughed, “Thanks for the concern, if something, I dunno, concerning happens, we’ll deal with it. But c’mon. It’s been three years, and no one’s figured me out yet.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about--” he started before zooming behind the couch as Luka reappeared, sitting back down.

“Sorry, I forgot to do something earlier.”

Adrien nodded, sensing his unease on the topic, “Interesting song choice.”

“You know it?”

“It’s Heart of Glass, isn’t it? It’s a Blondie song.”

He smiled, “It is. I hate it.”

The blonde laughed, not expecting to hear that from him, “Well. Okay. Interesting choice for an alarm you’re going to hear, what I assume is, every day.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter what song, or how much you love a song, if you associate it with something bad or annoying, you’re going to end up hating it. So for an alarm I do not want to hear, I picked a song that I do not want to hear.”

“That’s actually a fair argument. I either wake up to a standard tone--”

“You would.”

“Offense taken?”

Luka laughed at his reaction, “No, no, no. It makes more sense to wake up to a standard tone. Then what? Negative association to some sounds is a hell of a lot better than to music you once used to enjoy. You’re keeping the good and bad vibes separate. I respect that.”

“You could make an alignment board for what people wake up to. I never considered a bad song…” Adrien pondered, leaning against the back of the couch.

“Alignment board? Like DnD?”

He shrugged, “Hey, you recognized it.”

The older boy clicked his tongue as he shook his head, “Got me there.”

“You’ve included Blondie songs in your playlists, so you must not hate them  _ that _ much.” he observed, hoping to fill the silence.

“Hear me out.” he turned to face him better, leaning forward slightly, “I have an original alarm, you know wake up to some other song, which is when I am supposed to do said task, which is followed up by me turning off this alarm, set for several hours later. If I forget to do it, or turn it off, I suppose, I am greeted with Blondie complaining about love being well, you know.”

“Okay, so it’s just the song?”

“Oh, the song for sure.” he nodded, also leaning his head against his arm on the back of the couch. “They’ve got some good songs, I like Bondie,” he hesitated, observing him carefully, as if thinking about saying something else to it, “Did you know they were originally called ‘The Angel and the Snake’?”

Adrien laughed, “I did not.”

“I’d argue it’s fitting for us.”

“Am I the--” Luka shrugged, trying not to smile, “Are you calling me an  _ angel _ ? Because no-- Why would you get to be the snake?”

“Well-- I just really like snakes, okay?” Adrien waited for him to continue. He...did know he knew he was Viperion, right? He was  _ there _ . It was two years ago, and the average Parisian definitely knew about the break the heroes took--but did he just...not remember him knowing? Well talk about something to bring up later.

“Fine, fine, I guess that’s a solid enough reason.” he paused, “Wait, is  _ that _ why you call me blondie?”

“Hate to break it to you, but you also are blond.” he laughed as the other rolled his eyes. “I think double meanings on nicknames are peak quality. So underrated. So good.” Adrien smiled softly, absolutely delighted that his hero nickname for him was appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I too hate Heart of Glass by Blondie. and woodwinds (i'm kidding i am a drum corps kid tho)  
> (okay but adrien with permed hair. just. consider it.)
> 
> i have an embarrassing story regarding how loNG it took for me to understand the double meaning on his nickname. like. i have to thank the adventure zone episode 23 (which i skipped the first time), for me to see what i did.
> 
> but cuz   
> scales=snake  
> scales=music  
> wild.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Chloe redemption + Vipernoir???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i missed halloween but I hope you had a great halloween i took a nap and did a science quiz and said i was going to post this but i clearly did Not.
> 
> happy November tho!

May -3-

“Is Chat even coming?”

Ladybug sighed, looking over the edge of the building, “He should be. He’s the one who’s bringing the new Queen Bee.”

\--

It was really easy to find Chloe, sitting, basking in the early summer sun on the hotel’s rooftop, taking full advantage of their half day. She looked up when he landed, setting down the book she was reading, “Chat Noir? What do you want?”

“Okay,” he held his hands out, “Do not panic.”

“Why the--okay.” she sighed, taking a moment to regain her composure, something she had greatly improved on in the past year, “That’s never a good way to start a conversation.”

He quickly looked around, checking mostly for people, but maybe cameras, “Alrightly,” he rubbed his hands together, sitting down in the chair across from hers.

“Spit it out, cat, you’re really testing me.”

Chat Noir put his finger up to his lips, requesting silence before he sighed, “Plagg, claws off.”

“W-what?!” Chloe covered her face as he de-transformed, “Chat Noir, I simply can  _ not _ know who you are under the mask.”

“Okay.” Adrien pouted, looking to Plagg, who shrugged, “I suppose you can keep your eyes covered for a bit, but  _ I _ personally wanted to request your presence again as the one and only Queen Bee.”

Her mouth dropped open, “What--Why isn’t Ladybug here to give it to me?”

“Well,” he paused, setting the hair pin on her lap, “She doesn’t know. Honestly, no one knows I’m here. She does know I’m getting  _ a _ Queen Bee, but I know they don’t recognize you for who you are now. And I do. And I really,  _ really _ believe you are the Queen Bee we need.”

Processing what he said, she leaned back in her seat, “I messed up  _ so _ many times, of course they don’t want me back.” she paused, “Would this make more sense if I saw who you are?”

“I mean, yes? I don’t think the emphasis should be on who I am as a reason for picking you? That’s kinda...a lot. And honestly, this mostly shows how much I trust you because absolutely  _ no one _ has even the slightest hunch of who I am and you cannot tell people who I am- but I do trust you with that-- and really, shouldn’t tell anyone who you are. They’re still...not a big fan of you,” he sighed, “Sorry we’re just a little short on time.”

She didn’t move, contemplating what he said, “You really trust me?”

“Of course I trust you. Finest evidence is you being the only person to know my identity. No one else has any idea. Like. At all. It’s really weird no one has made the connection, I know every single one of them and really it was a little embarrassing how long it took to piece some people together.”

“Okay fine.”

“Okay fine you’ll do it?” silence answered his question, “ _ Chlo _ , come on.”

That was what she really needed to move her hands from in front of her face, peering around to confirm her suspicion. Stunned, she covered her mouth to keep from screaming, “Adrikins, what the  _ fuck. _ ” she whispered, trying her best to calm down.

“Surprise.” he said, deadpan, offering little jazz fingers for effect.

“Shit, you’re right,  _ no one _ suspects you. Like. At all. You’re good, so good,” she shook her head, regaining focus, “We’re gonna talk about this later, without a doubt. Are we in a fight right now, orrr--”

“Oh, no. I just,” he rubbed the back of his head, “was supposed to find you and tell you before right now, we’re supposed to be at a meeting that started at 11, which, clearly it is a bit past-- I know, typical, I’m late-- and we are not there yet. One more thing, you’re gonna need to look different.”

Plagg cut in, “Don’t worry too much, us kwami’s can help with that, Pollen knows what’s going on, but the costume is still what you want, so you’ll need to help.”

“Are you telling me three years and the little bell and leather was optional?” she teased as Plagg sighed, nodding.

“I’ve had some upgrades since then, but also leave my bell alone, it’s great for kids.”

Chloe picked up the hairpiece, sticking it in her currently braided hair, “Are you really sure about this?”

“Yes, absolutely. As both Adrien and Chat Noir, I trust you entirely. Also you’re the only person on the planet who knows my identity, so no pressure.”

“Wait, so you know who Ladybug is?”

Adrien stood up, running his hands through his already messy hair, “What’s it matter?”

“Who  _ don’t  _ you know?”

He shook his head, “Plagg, claws on,” he transformed as Pollen bowed to Chloe.

“Ah yes, my Queen has returned.”

“Let’s see it.”

Chloe exhaled, focusing on a look different than the last time she transformed, nearly two years ago. “Pollen, buzz on.” The transformation was exactly as it had been, but much different. Her braided blonde hair was streaked with dark grey, becoming two space buns atop her head, straight-across bangs covering her forehead. Her jeans and top were converted into a skin tight black fabric, adorned with grey hexagons; a long sleeve crop top and high waisted leggings, with her grey mask covering more of her face than her old one. Her knee-high boots and fingerless gloves popped, being the only yellow on the outfit, continuing the hexagonal pattern in black. Her blue eyes transformed completely black, popping in contrast to her mask.

“Fuck, wow. First, heck yeah team changing eyes, but if we wanted to be true to science you’d actually have five eyes, so maybe next time we could work on--” Chat joked as she laughed, “You look  _ good _ . I doubt anyone would recognize you.”

“Like what you see, Adrikins?”

He turned sharply, “Hey. Do not. You cannot.”

“Shit right,” she exhaled again, “I just won’t talk to you for a while.”

“Probably for the best,” he paused before reaching for his staff, “You do know I have not, nor will I likely ever think of you in that way? We’re kinda like siblings.”

“We could play on that.”

“Oh, and we definitely will,” smiling, he hesitated, watching her for a moment before pulling her into a hug, “God, Chlo I’m so stinking proud of you. I know you can do this now.”

She hugged him back, holding him tight, “Thanks for believing in me. But do not think we’re not going to talk about this later. We have  _ so much _ to talk about. And honestly? I kinda mad and hate you for keeping this from me.”

\----

“Heyo, what up, it’s  _ me _ .”

“Chat, we can see you.”

He turned towards the group of heroes, resting his staff on his shoulder, “I wasn’t hiding. I was going to make a dramatic entrance, for a dramatic reveal for a beautiful new Queen Bee.”

All the original heroes were there, waiting, some a bit more irritated than others, but generally enjoying each other’s company. Ladybug was standing with Rena, Carapace, and a few weeks into herodom, Tigresse talking about something likely only vaguely superhero related as Ryuko stood alone, looking a little frustrated with the situation. Pegasus and King Monkey were skepticizing the potential new identity while Viperion sat nearby, listening to those around him, plucking at his lyre.

“This was supposed to happen like twenty minutes ago.” Rena said, folding her arms to face him.

“I understand and raise you that time isn’t real and is simply a tool used to make us feel in control. Where’s Bunnyx when you need them?” Chat sighed before standing up straight again, “Without further ado, our new Queenie!”

She was standing next to him when he began his profound statement about time, but offered a wave when he finished, smiling bright, “Hello.”

“Who the  _ fuck _ -”

Rena sighed, “Why is it a requirement for all miraculous holders to be so damn attractive.”

“That’s definitely a Chat question,” Ladybug approached her shyly, “This is weird, not knowing who’s under a mask for once. It’s kinda exciting.”

“You don’t know Chat.” Carapace pointed out as he quite half-ass comforted his not actually upset girlfriend.

“No one knows Chat, he doesn’t count.” King Monkey defended as Ladybug glared.

Chat, in response shrugged smuggly, slinging his arms over his shaft resting on his shoulders, “Guess I really am the man of mystery.”

“Nah dude, with Queen Bee now you two are just the mystery pretty blondes. Which is, something, to say the least.” Carapace pointed out, turning back to Rena, quieter, “You’re right, we’re all so attractive.”

Pegasus and Ryuko said their welcome to Queen Bee before Ryuko bowed, “I am afraid I am needed elsewhere. It was a pleasure to meet you, even if briefly because Chat Noir was so ridiculously late.”

The cat grinned, “Have fun, Ryuko, stay safe.” Kagami not liking Chat Noir was a whole level of humor Chat had to enjoy alone. He noticed Viperion didn't move from his spot, staring at the group, transfixed as he continued to gently pluck at his instrument. He could only imagine what was up. His eyes lingered on the hero before turning to watch the others enthusiastically surrounding Queenie.

Ladybug was explaining patrol shifts to her, who did what when, thoroughly using her hands to gesture to people who would step up and say something in regards to it. She was happier, he felt, than she was before. She was recently accepted to work alongside his father for the summer and following school year, an internship created specifically for her. Besides all the dumb busy work he was definitely going to bombard her with, she was going to finally be recognized for her work, she was practically guaranteed her own line by the following June. His father very much took fancy in her, and he was so happy to see her succeeding.

With Queenie, their final team was complete, ready to take down Hawkmoth. But so far it had just been a game of waiting to make the next attack. Thanks to some technological advances as a team, heroes could be called individually by Ladybug by a simple push of a button on her yo-yo, making attacks run significantly smoother. He loved Ladybug and adored their duo, but they were actually beginning to feel like a real team for once, and with their training recently and their new weekly assigned patrols, they were getting to be  _ good _ . Even after Hawkmoth was captured, Ladybug expressed wanting to keep the team strong just in case something else were to come about, and to just help Paris be safe. That was honestly a relief as Chat really couldn’t imagine living without Plagg constantly making him question everything he did.

“Good morning, kitty.”

Startling him from his thoughts, his tail tensed up. It was Viperion, finally moving from his watch spot to talk to him, “I’m still gonna be kitty to you? I suppose I can get used to it,” he responded in an arguably flirty manner, turning to face him. Chat watched the other hero bite his lip, looking him up and down before continuing to take a few steps closer.

“I think I’ve got a few other nicknames I’d be willing to try out.”

Chat watched him, trying to work out what he could possibly mean by that as he dropped his arm, retracting his staff, “Let’s hold off on those for the time being.”

Viperion laughed, plucking his lyre a few times, “I can respect that.” He continued playing, completely aware he had the other’s full attention; he played a short piece that sounded vaguely like one of the songs they had been working on yesterday. Chat smiled, studying his face a few steps from him, relaxed and entirely invested in the small instrument; he could really watch him play for hours and not get bored. The other glanced up, “Let me know if you change your mind.”

Shaking his head, “How are things going? It feels like it’s been a bit since we’ve talked.”

“Well now, you’ve just been so busy these past months. Maybe we can spend some time catching up?” he leaned closer, hoping to draw more out of the cat. 

“You always know how to get me.” Viperion continued to watch him carefully before he grinned, “I’m always down to hang with you, scales. I  _ was  _ the one to get you to come back.”

He clicked his tongue, taking another step toward him, “You did get everyone else, Tigresse,  _ and _ a new Queen Bee, so that doesn’t mean as much as I think you intended it to.” 

He hesitated, tilting his head to the side thinking of the best way to indicate he cared about him without saying it so blatantly, “Yeah, but I did get you first.”

The two watched each other a moment before the older one smiled, leaning in closer to him, “Looks like it’s always gonna belong to a pretty blond, huh?”

“I guess so,” he laughed, looking towards the other heroes.

He folded his arms, following his gaze, taking a half step into him, gently bumping his shoulder into his, “So I’m guessing she’s someone no one else knows, you and your secret life. Maybe we’ve got another sibling duo on our hands?”

Chat laughed, “I don’t want to give too much away, now where's the fun in that?”

Viperion smiled, glancing at him before looking down to the ground, “You’re right. Honest, I did get excited that you didn’t have someone for it; Adrien would make a good miraculous holder,” he exhaled a laugh, “Guess it’s not meant to be.”

Not really sure how to react, he shrugged, “Sorry to disappoint, I’m still waiting to be introduced. Besides, his face is everywhere, he’s probably so busy and would likely be recognized in a downbeat. I do trust your judgement, though, you only hang with the best,” he joked, leaning in closer, “As we can clearly see here.” 

He stifled back a laugh, reaching up to ruffle Chat’s hair, “I suppose that’s fair, but he’s pretty great. Bit of a disaster if we’re being real here,” he hesitated, hand still on his head, “But it works, you know?” he smiled, dropping his hand, “You doing good, Chat? How’s your life going?”

Nodding, the blond folded his arms, mirroring the other, “Yeah. Life is still in constant chaos, but that’s hardly new.”

Amused, he smirked, “Well you know I’m always more than willing to spend time with you. If you ever want to just talk it through, I’d love to get to know you even just a little bit more.”

He smiled, of course he was still on it, “C’mon scales, I’ve never been all you’ve had. I’ll always be here for you, but I’m far from what you deserve. I can’t be what you need.” The other hero studied him carefully; Chat thought the few weeks between their last passing would’ve been more than enough time for him to move on, this was just a dumb hero crush. In costume, Luka’s brilliant blue eyes were muted more to a more greenish hazel, matching his hair and complete get-up, which looked  _ good _ , Chat couldn’t argue that, but he still found himself completely entranced by them. He didn’t know what it was, and he  _ hated  _ that he couldn’t figure out what was so mesmerizing about him. Like,  _ yes _ , it could be his understanding eyes and calm face, definitely harboring more thoughts than he was letting on, or his passionate, soft-spoken nature all the time, constantly, or even just the small things that didn’t make perfect sense to him, but just enough to lure him closer, desiring to know more. Or, most likely, it was just because he knew he had interest in him, and that in of itself was a lot to handle. But it also introduced a new question:  _ why _ . “There’s gotta be someone better for you.”

“That’s reassuring to hear,” Viperion joked, glancing over his shoulder, “I’ve got someplace to be, but also I gotta get before Ladybug tries to talk me into patrol for the upteenth time,” he smiled, nodding at him, “Well, if you ever get lonely, give me a ring.”

“Sure, but not this one,” he gestured to his hand as the other laughed, starting to turn away, “Not gonna welcome Queenie first?” he teased, causing him to stop and look back.

“Oh, Queenie’s gonna be amazing, you did choose her,” he paused, reaching towards his face, but stopped himself, settling for his shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze before tracing it down his arm, “All my offers still stand, kitten, so don’t hesitate.”

Chat felt his face flush under his mask as the other hero smirked, giving a little salute before jumping off the roof, “What the heck? Who the heck does he think--” he mumbled, realizing no one witnessed the interaction, exhaling to regain composure. How did he  _ do  _ that; make him feel like  _ that _ . No.  _ Fuck _ . This was not something he wanted to deal with now. He turned to join the other heroes, shaking off whatever dumb emotions he was trying to trick him with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: rose with the mouse miraculous was supposed to make a cameo in this chapter but i couldn't think of a nAME for her to use so guess i'll postpone her appearance.  
> (if you have an idea god i would so appreciate hearing it)
> 
> also do people....reread this story??? if so that feels not real.
> 
> *play Used to Like and Mess Me Up by Neon Trees*


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Proposed tropes? Patrol? Tattoos?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first. i had every intention on posting this sooner, but uhhhh, I live in the US.
> 
> t/w:  
> depression

Late May -3-

Luka hadn’t responded to any of Adrien’s messages, which was normal a few months prior, but in the last week, it stopped very abruptly in the past three days. He was already planning on visiting him, Fridays usually had a good opening after class but before patrol, or unfortunately recently, a surprise shoot would take his free time. There was no indication of life when he walked aboard, odd, as Rose and Juleka were often on deck.

“Oh. Hey. What do you want? Did you leave something?”

He jumped, startled by Juleka, who appeared from the hall to the kitchen, “Oh, hi, I’m here to see Luka, if he’s here--”

Skeptical, she folded her arms, “Really?”

“Y...es? He stopped responding to me a few days ago, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay and just,” he shrugged, not even sure of his own plan, “hang out?”

She looked him up and down, amused, “He’s in his room. Fair warning, he might be asleep or just not down to talk. If not you’re always more than welcome to join us baking.”

“O...kay. Thanks.” he said, hesitantly turning to the stairs as she returned to the kitchen. Walking down the stairs, he noticed how it was actually quiet for a change, no guitar, or background music, just silence. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he knocked on the doorframe, getting the older boy’s attention.

Startled, he pushed himself to his elbows before groaning, nuzzling his face back into his pillow, “What do you want?”

“Oh, hi Luka, nice to see you too. Are you okay?”

Luka laughed under his breath at the question, “Fan-tucking-fastic.”

He took a few steps closer, “Do you wanna talk?” Silence. “How about--”

“God, you can just leave. I’m not exactly the most enjoyable to be around,” he mumbled, not looking at him, “You’ve got better things to waste your time with.”

Adrien watched him a moment, “Do you  _ want _ company?” more silence, “If you want to be alone, I’ll respect that, but don’t play it off like I don’t want to spend time with you,” he didn’t say anything, “Okay, so Alya taught me about the importance of consent, so I’m only going to stay if you want me to.”

“Do  _ you _ want to?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

He lifted his head to look at him, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

The blond smiled, walking towards his bed, “Do you want to...talk or just like, exist? We could watch something too, or I do have an essay I could work on--”

“Do your essay, blondie,” he mumbled into his pillow.

“Cool cool,” setting his bag down, he took out his laptop before crawling on the foot of his bed, leaning against the wall, balancing his computer on his bent knees over his feet.

Luka looked at him, “Is this location necessary?”

Patting his legs under the blanket he grinned, “Yeah, so I’m right here for ya.”

He shook his head, sighing as the other began clicking around, typing in bursts. A few minutes in he turned on some fancy classical piano pieces to fill the silence, “How long are you going to waste your time here?”

“Well, hanging with you is never a waste of time but I am also doing my essay, so I’m even being  _ productive _ with you. But I do have somewhere to be at 6, but I can come by again later tonight or--” he paused, thinking of his schedule, “Or maybe Sunday morning, if you’d like that. You don’t have to decide now.”

He adjusted his pillow, curling on his side slightly to watch the other. Focused on what he was reading his eyebrows furrowed together, clicking a few times before typing in a frenzy again. He was wearing black shorts cuffed above the knee and a colorful t-shirt hoodie, indicating it was likely a warmer afternoon for May. His dumb undercut was growing out, still a distinct difference, but just long enough to look well kept but still fluffy enough on the top to maintain his aesthetic, and he looked...good. Luka couldn’t help but wonder how this punk’s brain worked, finding  _ this _ an enjoyable way to spend his free time.

Adrien glanced at him, smiling when he noticed, but looking back to his work, “Can I help you?”

“Is this you playing?”

The blond exhaled a laugh, “Oh god no, is that what you think of me? Listening to myself recreationally? These people are  _ good _ .”

“You’re good.”

“Well I’m pretty okay considering how long I’ve been playing, but thanks.”

Luka watched him type some more, definitely aware he still had his attention, but ultimately trying to ignore it. He didn’t get it. Nearly everyone in his life he managed to push away; no one wanted to deal with him like this, and, he argued, why would they bother to deal with him when he was normal? He always ended up like this, a ticking time bomb as he tried to keep his symptoms at bay. Of course, overall, things were looking better, things didn’t get so bad for as long. It was only days he couldn’t get out of bed rather than weeks. He’d given everyone he’d known a good reason to go, and him sticking around this long was really surprising to him.

They fell into a silence where he really didn’t feel the need to fill. Adrien wasn’t waiting for something to happen, for him to say something, accepting this was just how it was.

\---

Adrien sighed, closing his laptop before looking to the other, curled under his blankets. He looked calmer than usual, and the way his face was covered, he really couldn’t tell if he was asleep. He leaned closer next to him, enough movement to alert the other who groaned, “What?”

“I couldn’t tell if you were awake and I didn’t want to be rude.” he explained, propping himself on his elbow.

“And waking me was the less rude option?”

“I really don’t like waking people up. But I also don’t like the idea of people waking up alone when someone was there, like downside: waking up, upside: the person? But when the person isn’t there, the upside is gone so it’s just like having to wake up twice? Are you following this?” the older boy looked at him, “It’s just a part of life, I suppose. I just wanted to see if you needed or wanted anything from me before I left.”

He continued to watch him. This kid was unreal. “No, I’m fine. I mean, as fine as to be expected. Thanks though.”

Adrien observed the other carefully, as if reading fine print, “Hey, so I really do not understand what you’re going through, but I need you to know I will always be here for you. A lot of people love you and care about you, but still, the world is big and often feels really empty. So if you ever need someone, do not hesitate to call me. I’m really busy, but I’m a pro at sneaking out for people I care about.”

Luka stared at him, his words reminding him of someone--  _ Chat _ . Chat Noir offered the same words just a few months back. The look in his eyes was equally sincere, but nothing like the hero’s cat-like ones, “Thanks, Adrien.”

Tilting his head, wondering the others thoughts, he smiled back, “I’m gonna swing by later tonight, but I don’t wanna wake you and it might be at like 2am--” he pouted, thinking a moment, “Tomorrow. Or geez-- I swear, Sunday latest. I swear I won’t abandon you for six weeks ever again, just this weekend is a disaster.”

“You really don’t need to--”

“I want to? Is that what you need to hear?” He said assertively, but smiled softly at the other, forcing his point across but you know, softly, “Because I do. I want to see you.”

He shook his head, “Okay, well, I’ll probably be right here.”

The blond hesitated for a moment before pushing himself up to gather his things as Luka sighed, turning his head to watch him, shoving his computer in his bag and bending down to lace his shoes, “I mean, if you’re up at 2am and want some company, hit me up,” he smiled, glancing up briefly before finishing his shoes and standing up, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he turned towards the door, “See ya later, Luka.”

“Adrien,” he mumbled softly, causing him to look back, “Thanks.” 

\--------

“Really now.”

Chat and Queenie were sitting on a rooftop, looking out over Paris; it was her first patrol as the new Queen Bee, and she opted in going with her friend over her idol, mostly to avoid actual rookie patrol talk. It was also a great relief to Ryuko, who definitely preferred Ladybug over her feline partner.

“Yeah, really. What’s the deal?”

“Just. A sudden interest in Marinette’s ex,” she folded her arms, looking across the city, “I guess your whole mishaps in December wasn’t just a fluke after all.”

He shook his head, “Okay first, it isn’t sudden, I’ve been visiting for months-- don’t-- stop, that doesn’t prove your point. Second, don’t make me regret opening up to you about it. It’s not like that, and you know it. He’s really nice and I just wanna be his friend. And third, I’m not even gay, Chlo.”

She sighed, “Right, I suppose we did discuss that. Well, we discussed how we won’t discuss that, but I guess I can assume your answer. Isn’t there some taboo girl code or something about dating your friend’s ex?” he stared at her, “Completely separate question unrelated to you. Just got me thinking. All my friends-- you-- don’t have exes, so I never really understood the whole reasoning behind it. If it was messy, and there was a  _ real _ reason for breaking up, yeah.”

Chat shrugged, “Kagami and I kinda dated for a while and Mari had no problem with that, so I really don’t know. Other than that, she has who, Luka? I’m not even--” he sighed, “I don’t know. It’s a whole plan, you’ll see. But speaking of-- this relates, I swear-- my father is not pleased with my relationship status as a seventeen year old heartthrob.”

“Oh?”

“So I have been presented with two options at this current point in time,” he held up a finger, “Find someone before summer break, or,” he held up a second, “go on, in Gabriel’s words--  _ many _ dates set up by him to find a suitable lady for me.”

She laughed, holding up three fingers, “Fake date someone until you actually fall in love with them. I’ve got several people for ideas.”

“That’s a  _ hard _ pass,” he shook his head, “If I want my life to succumb to a cliche fanfiction trope, I’d rather have...hm,” he paused, genuinely thinking on the idea, “I think coffee shop au’s are always cute and we all know my opinion on coffee.”

Queenie scoffed, “Knowing  _ you _ it would be some fucking friends to lovers, mutual pining where you’re too dense to realize, or oh, we literally already have a hidden identity brewing,” she smirked as he shoved her lightly, “Regardless of the  _ actual _ trope, it would absolutely definitely be a 100k+ slowburn.”

His mouth opened in offense, “Fucking  _ rude _ .”

“Don’t worry, you’ll end up happy and with more friends than you can handle,” laughing as she said it, earning a glare before he rolled his eyes, “Don’t you have some pretty model friends to go out with?”

“If I wanted to date any of my coworkers, I already would have.”

She looked at him, “No, you wouldn’t. Adrikins, I know you. It’s fine you don’t want to date, I am very excited to hear about all these grand adventures, however. And also very curious where Gabriel is going to find all these girls.”

He pouted, folding his arms, “Yeah, I dunno, I mean, I’m gonna try and have fun. He’s bound to run out of girls hopefully sooner than later. So what? Maybe 10? For the whole summer? That’s easy.”

“I mean, we can always fake date and you’ll inevitably fall in love with me,” he laughed, shaking his head, “Or Marinette, she’s single again because Kagami’s leaving in August--” he nodded, upset by the fact, “She might die if you proposed that, and she’s probably still in love with you, so you’re already halfway there.”

Chat groaned, pushing himself to stand, “Yeah, you know well enough I’m never going to date Mari, so that’s still gonna be a no. I can handle a few dates, meet a few girls. Hey, maybe I will find love this summer,” he offered his hand, “I’ll keep an open mind.”

“It’s always been a possibility, you know,” she took his hand to join him, “But the fake dating is an easy way out, I’ll always be down to be your savior from it all.”

“Yeah, fine, I hear ya. But I don’t want a savior, I just want to have a good time.”

“I would argue my idea easily implies both.”

\---

Adrien walked on the boat early Sunday morning; he technically had 27 minutes to be back on time for his fencing match, so just enough time to check in on Luka. He really hated seeing him so out of it, but understood there wasn’t much he could do, other than just...be there with him.

Finding the deck empty, he headed down, “Luka?” he asked as a way to announce himself as he descended the stairs to his empty room. He’d never been there in the morning, the rising sun streaming in on the starboard side, illuminating the room from the small circle window over his bed. He heard music faintly coming from the closed bathroom door to his right, getting louder as it opened, Luka peering out, smiling as he saw him.

He opened the door and took a few steps towards him in dark grey jeans, towel draped around his neck, toothbrush hanging from his mouth, “Oh. Hey blondie,” he mumbled, clearly in the middle of brushing his teeth.

“Hey- hi, it’s good to see you...better,” he said, his eyes drifting down, as if trying to take him all in before quickly looking back to his face, “You going somewhere?”

He nodded, continuing to brush before pointing to him.

“Well I am here, aren’t I?”

Shrugging, he held up a finger, turning back to the bathroom. Adrien noticed a black line tattoo of two hands doing a pinky promise on the back of his right elbow. He’d never seen it before on him, but it looked familiar for some reason. The water ran for a moment before he returned, “Yeah, I have work. I like my job and the kids are chill, enough to get me out of bed, I guess,” he shrugged, “But thanks for coming over on Friday. I really needed that.”

“Yeah, of course. Sorry I couldn’t make it sooner, yesterday was super chaotic with the whole akuma attack downtown.”

“It's chill, you didn’t miss much. Hey, but really, thanks,” he placed his hands on his shoulders, “You’re a really great person, Adrien, and I appreciate you a lot.”

Adrien offered a grin, instinctively taking a half step closer, “I like hanging with you, Luka,” he hesitated, watching him closely, “You really doing okay?”

“I’m okay, yeah. For today, at least, I hope,” he smiled as he started to pull him into a hug, “Sorry my towel is--”

“I don’t mind,” he said, maybe a little too fast as he wrapped his arms around him as the other laughed. Adrien was aggressively aware of where his hands were on his bare skin, soft against his hands as he cautiously moved them slightly, holding him tighter. He smelled clean and like some type of woodsy smell he couldn’t pinpoint, but could definitely bask in for a long while. He was so happy to see him out of bed and doing better, he wasn’t even sure how to express it any other way. Noticing his biggest tattoo near where his face was, he ventured, “How many tattoos do you have?”

Luka laughed, pulling back, “Oh, that’s what you were looking for, okay, so I thought you were checking me out,” the accusation made him shake his head, biting his lip as he slowly slid his hands off his waist, “A disappointing correction,” he laughed again as his face darkened, “Five.”

“Okay so I see  _ three _ \--”

“Blondie, if you wanted to see me without pants you could’ve just shown up three minutes sooner, definitely would see all five,” he clicked his tongue, ruffling his hair with his towel as he turned back to the bathroom, “But I have a guitar on my thigh made out of a bunch of music things in it, like the clefs, a staff, some notes. I’ll show you some time, and I have a little dinosaur above my knee that was a stick and poke I got when I wasn’t quite sober. But he’s cute,” he returned, towel gone as he approached his dresser, “And you can see my lil black heart,” he said gesturing to his left ribs, at a geometric realistic black heart, “My flowers are gonna keep growing,” he opened his top drawer, digging around for a shirt.

Adrien took a step closer, looking at his tattoo on his shoulder blade, black outlines of various flowers crawling up his shoulder, “Are you going to color it?”

Luka shrugged and Adrien found his eyes trailing back down his body. He didn’t know what type of workout routine he followed, but the weekly trainings and just being a hero was treating him nice, “I haven’t decided yet. All my tattoos are black and grey, but I’ve got plans for some more colorful ones too.”

“How many more do you want?”

He laughed, “So many. I already have at least three definitely planned in the near to immediate future, but, you know, they’re expensive,” he looked at him, “You definitely don’t know, plus your concept of money is likely very different than most,” he joked, shrugging, “But they’re kinda expensive, but they’re an investment, on my body for life, ya know?”

The blond nodded, “I guess so?” Luka laughed, pulling his shirt on, “But what about your last one-- on your arm?”

“Oh, yeah,” he smiled, looking down at it, “Juleka and I have matching tattoos, siblings for life, ya know-- no, god, you really wouldn’t.”

He laughed, “Sorry I’m just so relatable,” he watched him a moment before his phone buzzed, alerting him of the time, “I just wanted to swing by, but I’ve got a shoot in a few minutes so I’ve gotta head out.” he gestured behind him as Luka nodded.

“Maybe I should swing by your place for a change?”

He exhaled a laugh, biting his lip, “You really don’t know Gabriel Agreste.”

Luka took a step towards him, “Perhaps you could introduce me?” Adrien stared at him a moment, trying to process what he could possibly mean by that statement, “I mean it in a cute ‘introduce me to your parents’ type thing.”

“Okay you  _ really _ don’t know my father.” he laughed again, taking a few steps back toward the door, “I, for real, have to go, I’ll hit you up when I’ll swing by again, with school and general chaos of the world you know?”

“Alright, I trust you, blondie. Have fun,” he smiled as Adrien turned the corner to continue up the stairs, pulling out his phone to check the time, scrolling through several notifications, including his schedule, reminding him of his match, and a snap from Mari he was going to definitely open later. Sighing, he locked his phone, he really wished he had more time to hang out with Luka, both today and in his life in general, but that didn’t seem like a possibility until summer at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got a notification from ff.net telling me someone favorited a fic i posted in 2013, and i think the worst part is that it wasn't even the weirdest thing that happened this week.
> 
> is this an implication that fanfic exists in their-- yes. and they read it.  
> it comes up later too.
> 
> *play At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be) and All Alright by Fun.*


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last minute essays and downward spirals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i started watching Haikyuu bc a cute girl I work with loves it and i'm scared I'm gonna fall in love with one of the boys and forget about these boys (I could nEVER)  
> also this turned out approx 3x longer than intended
> 
> tw:  
> drinking  
> smoking (cigarettes and weed)  
> self harm reference  
> suicide reference
> 
> *play Nights by Neon Trees*

Mid June -3-

Adrien and Nino were watching some movie they’d both seen together many times, falling in and out of mindless conversation. The blond was leaning against him, legs pulled up onto the couch, Nino’s arm loose around his waist as he leaned back against a stack of pillows. The blond’s phone vibrated a few times at the beginning of the movie, which they easily ignored, but nearly halfway through it practically exploded. He groaned, pushing himself up to grab his phone near his feet as it vibrated for what felt like the twentieth time in five minutes.

“Well someone’s Mr. Popular,” his friend joked as the other sighed, leaning back on him, “Who is it?”

“Luka,” he mumbled, scrolling through all his notifications before tapping on his messages. His silence prompted him to look at Nino, who had raised an eyebrow at the name, “What?”

He shook his head, draping his arm back around him, “Nah, just not a name I’ve heard in a hot second, just not who I was expecting. What’s up with him?”

“Oh, so much. He is far from sober right now,” he explained, continuing to scroll, “Fuck, yo, he doesn’t want to shut up. Oh,” he looked up, pointing to his screen, “He’s apologizing for blowing up my phone because he knows I’m with Chloe on Thursdays. Followed by, believe it or not, more messages,” he locked his phone, tossing it back to his feet.

Nino glanced at him, “He okay or you wanna call him, or--”

“No, based on his messages, he seems to be more than okay. He just wanted to let me know he made it home safe, as well as  _ way _ too much regarding his most recent...date? I dunno, he was definitely not alone, I know that much,” he explained as his friend laughed, “I never really appreciated you being ace more than this whole interaction. What is more normal? Do people normally talk about sex frequently? I dunno if I’m close enough to--”

“Dude, first, you’re welcome, I guess?” he laughed again, “I’m sorry, I’m really trying to imagine this version of him you’re experiencing-- like we hung out a lot, the four of us, really, and he was always so chill and soft spoken, lotta music talk. It’s hard to imagine him drunk and rambling about whatever he was up to,” he paused before shaking him lightly, “Also dude, I’m more than willing to talk about  _ anything,  _ I’m not-- just because I’m ace doesn’t mean I’m not-- I’m trying to say if you want to talk about sex, we can dude.”

The blond nodded, “I don’t, but thanks.”

“Fine fine,” he smiled, “Hey, why  _ aren’t _ you hanging with Chloe?”

Adrien shrugged, “Said something about a paper being due tomorrow when she thought she had until Monday, because that’s when all the other papers were due this term.”

Nino hesitantly looked at him, “For what class? Dude, I’m in her history class-- and we-- dude, hand me my laptop,” he nudged him, gesturing to his computer on the coffeetable in front of them, “I swear to  _ fuck _ \--”

Handing it to him, he sat up off of him to lean against the back of the couch. He reached for his phone as it buzzed with another notification as his friend frantically clicked around, “Better now than tomorrow, I suppose.”

He laughed, shaking his head, “Thanks for the hope, sunshine,” he pressed his lips together, reading before he groaned, leaning back on the couch with him, “How fucked am I?”

The blond leaned his head on his shoulder, reading the assignment description, “Oh, it’s only five pages, and you’ve got an outline already. You got this. What’s your topic?”

“The Treaty of Verdun.”

“Oh you’re so chill. You  _ got _ this,” he paused as Nino read a bit more, calming himself, “So I know you’re too polite to kick me out, so I shall excuse myself and catch you tomorrow?” He pushed himself to stand up, looking at him as he pouted, “I’m the  _ biggest _ distraction, dude.”

“Yeah, yeah.  _ Fuck _ . Thank Chloe for me?”

He shrugged, “You can do that yourself.”

His friend looked at him as he returned with a smile; he was the most willing to hang out with Chloe, but with Mari’s opinion on her, and therefore Alya’s, it wasn’t likely to happen soon. He was always polite and would say hi, better than most people, and Adrien appreciated it, but definitely wished for a bridge between the groups, “You headed home?”

He laughed, picking up his bag as he headed to the door, “Oh, fuck no. I’ll find something to do. I’ll message you every hour some words of encouragement. You got this.”

Nino smiled, shaking his head, “Thanks for keeping me sober tonight,” he joked as he adjusted his sitting position, knowing he was in for a long night, “Love ya dude.”

“Love you too.” He smiled, closing the door behind him as he pulled out his phone again. He waited a moment for Plagg to join him, mildly offended his socializing was cut short, “Sorry. You up to hang with Sass?”

\---

“Oh, hey blondie.”

Adrien waved, hesitantly walking onto the boat as Luka set his boots in front of the couch before clumsily pulling on a dark denim jacket, decorated with numerous patches and pins. He caught a glimpse of bandages around his wrists rather than his standard bracelets, “You headed out again?”

“Yeah, I’ve got,” he glanced at his wrist that definitely did not have a watch on it, “Some time. You normally don’t come over on Thursdays, especially this late. You shoulda told me you were coming, but it’s a little rude to cancel so last minute.”

He shrugged, folding his arms hesitantly, watching as Luka sat down, “You meeting someone else?” He nodded, “Like a date?”

“Hm…” he laughed, pulling the laces on his boots, “I suppose if we want to emphasize the classier purpose of this meeting,” he glanced up to see if he understood, met with the other’s completely unamused face.

“So...yes?”

He shook his head, “Sorry, did you have something to tell me or were just looking for time to kill? To kill time? Hang out?”

“Just hang. You know I’m normally with Chlo, but she’s got some paper due, and turns out so did Nino, and since I was already out, thought I’d check you out, but if you’re leaving, I suppose I could find someone else,” he shrugged, watching him move to the other boot, “So do I get some info on this person or…?”

Luka exhaled a laugh, leaning back on the couch to look at him, “Well his name is Peter--or Pierre? That sounds more French, I honestly don’t remember-- he might be a tourist for all I care but uhhh...the minimal information I do have on him I honestly don’t think will be interesting to you. I could show you some pictures, which are worth a thousand words, more than enough to cover my explanation.”

He leaned against the armrest of the chair across from him, “No, I’ll take your word for it,” he paused as Luka leaned to continue lacing his other boot, “I wouldn’t expect boots to be the most practical for your night adventures. They’re hot, but take a while to take off, no?”

Clicking his tongue, he pushed to rest his elbows on his knees, “I hate that you’re right. What else is wrong, pretty boy?” he laughed, unlacing his shoes, “God I should’ve gotten ready before smoking.”

Adrien smiled, watching him struggle. He’d dealt with high Luka before, but he was fairly certain he’d also had beyond his fair share of alcohol too. Under his jacket he had on a well fitting black shirt with a skull in the center, colorful flowers growing out, complete with his ripped black jeans. With his boots off, he could see black socks with bright green toe beans on the bottom, similar to a cat, “Are those Chat Noir socks?”

Lifting his foot to look, then show him, he laughed, “Yes, they are. He’s a cool cat, if I do say so myself,”  _ what a downplay _ , “So what shoes  _ should _ I wear? Ideas?”

“You’re literally wearing all black, you could go with anything and you’d be fine. I’ve always been a fan of your high tops, but then again, too boot-like for your mission tonight,” he joked as Luka stood, stumbling slightly as he walked over to him.

“Please do not call this a mission or I’m gonna think about you at the worst possible times.”

“Is there really ever a  _ bad _ time to think about me?”

Luka laughed, “You do understand what I’m--”

“Yeah, I get that you’re gonna hookup with this guy whose name you don’t even know, pretty stoned, pretty drunk, honest, just pretty,” he smirked, leaning closer as Luka approached him, “ _ And _ thinking about me.” 

“Fuck, look at blondie, not as socially inept as he pretends to be. Last time we talked--like years ago, not last week, I really believed completely and fully that you didn’t have the faintest concept of what sex even was,” he smiled, running his hands along the collar of the other’s shirt, popping it up as Adrien watched him, unfazed.

“Oh, when you two broke up?” he nodded, fiddling with his top buttons, “No, I most definitely did not. Actually it’s a funny story how I ended up finding out, because I really had no clue, at all. I was homeschooled, and my father definitely did not want me to know, so I was opted out of learning. So, I told Nino, and he told Alya that I didn’t know and she set up a whole multi-day lecture for me.” Luka looked up from the buttons in disbelief, “Yeah. She taught me about  _ everything _ . Very educational. Very inclusive.”

The older boy dropped his head, laughing, “I’m-- I mean that was sups chill of her-- doing the work of God," he leaned closer, wrapping his arms around his neck, “You’re such a weird kid.”

Adrien hesitantly hugged him back, feeling his hand trace up to the nape of his neck, his fingers brushing through his shorter hair gently, causing a weird shiver down his spine that he kinda hated, but definitely wanted to experience again.

“Your hair doesn’t grow fast, huh,” his fingers continued to gently run through the back of his head before stopping abruptly to take a deep breath in, “Blondie, you smell  _ exactly _ like Chat Noir.”

He laughed, “Hate to break it to you, but the fragrance is literally  _ named _ after me, so, I guess, honored he wears it, but it’s more like Chat Noir smells like me. You wanna know what you smell like?” he pulled back to look at him, “Like you were straight up hotboxing.”

“Hm. Okay, lemme tell you the previous half of my day,” he cleared his throat, taking a half step back, “Well I went to work this morning, so uh, what a reversal has occurred-- met with someone, ehhh, not worth the effort, but what do you expect with a hookup at noon? Met with someone else, she was fun, drank maybe a little too much-- it was the whole bottle, I might be feeling it a lil, but  _ parce que je suis un vrai Français et _ \--”

“Red or white?”

“Red, fuck, I’m not a heathen-- got ready for a round three-- said fuck it all and burned another bowl, wam bam, the boots problem.”

The blond nodded, watching him, yeah, he wasn’t going to remember  _ any _ of this, “Hey, are you okay?”

Luka laughed, playfully poking his chest, “Are  _ you _ okay?”

“If I were to express my concern and urge you to not go, would you even consider listening to me?”

“Hmm...stop me from getting laid. What could you possibly have in exchange for me?” he teased leaning back in closer as Adrien rolled his eyes.

“God you’re annoying like this,” he said, pushing him away, “I have nothing for you, just genuine concern for your well being.”

This prompted him to smile, leaning closer, “You’re so good to me, blondie. Who said you’re allowed to be so sweet?”

Adrien shook his head, “It’s like I care about you or something.” 

He watched him carefully as he started to stand, “Hey hey hey--” he ushered him back, rummaging in the pockets of his jacket to pull out a cigarette, “You know what to do, right?” he teased, lifting it up to his mouth as he hesitantly took it between his lips as Luka smiled, going back to his pockets.

“What do you take me as?” He mumbled, folding his arms as he pulled out a pink lighter, lighting the stick still loosely hanging from his mouth. Luka watched him closely, amused by his unbothered demenior, inhaling before removing it, blowling the smoke back into his face, “You’re fucking annoying.”

He smiled, taking the cigarette back, “You’re really fucking pretty.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes as he took a drag, blowing it up in the sky, “Okay, now I know you’re beyond the point of going out again,” the other laughed, shaking his head, “C’mon, Luka, you’re going to bed. I’ve done more than my fair share of--”

He groaned, cutting him off as he wrapped his arms back around his neck, “Blondie, I’m not hurting anyone--”

“You’re hurting yourself, and I care about you too much to just let you continue,” he sighed, allowing him to hang for a moment before pushing him off, “Reckless behavior is never a good thing, I remember that much.”

“Who says my behavior is reckless?”

He couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll just send you a follow-up email on that. Now, not to be the annoying strict parent, but you’re gonna cancel on Pierre/Peter because you’re going to bed.”

Taking another drag, he pouted, “It’s only like 8:30.”

“Well it seems like you’ve had a very busy day, so it’s probably best to just call it quits before something else happens. Some nights it’s just best to call it a draw,” Luka nodded, nearly accepting this outcome as fact, “Also, you’re not really one to smoke.”

Shrugging, he inhaled again, “I mean I do on occasion, but neither are you, Mr. Straight-edge.”

The blond laughed, “Doesn’t mean I haven’t done it before. Smoking’s bad for you.”

He laughed in return, “That’s never been a good enough reason for me not to do something,” he sighed, folding his arms, watching him for a moment, “Fine,” he felt his pockets as if looking for something, “Oh, shit, my phone’s probably in my room.”

“You were just going to leave without it, huh.”

Luka shrugged, “I bet would’ve made it fine without it,” he inhaled again, attempting to finish the cigarette to head back in. Adrien really wanted to know what was up with him. Nino was right, this did not seem like something the Luka he knew would do, but maybe he didn’t actually know that much about him. Even between knowing him as Chat, and their time together the previous months, he really didn’t know...him. He really wanted to, and maybe figure out why he was just so drawn to him.

“Look, I’ll cancel on him and go to bed, just for you,” he smiled, booping his nose playfully before putting out his cigarette, “C'mon blondie,” he said, reaching to take his hand, starting to drag him to the stairs, oh he did _ not _ like that. Adrien pulled his hand back abruptly, causing Luka to look at him, confused as he continued to follow him, “We not on the hand holding stage yet?” he joked as Adrien just shook his head.

“Not just you, but they’re  _ my _ hands,” the main reason rooted in paranoia of his ring and the possibility of someone taking his miraculous, but even his other hand he disliked being touched. Nino frequently joked he was ‘touch-starved’ and he didn’t, he  _ couldn’t _ deny that, he loved touching and cuddling when he trusted the person, but his hands were always just...not the same.

Adrien followed him down, watching him clumsily bump into the doorframe as the music got louder, a clear indication his phone was also down there. His room was significantly messier than the last time he was there earlier in the week, and all the times before; his notebooks and loose pages of music cues were scattered on the floor, along with clothes, other pairs of shoes, and various miscellaneous items, “Sorry sorry, it’s a disaster. Typically with Juleka we keep each other in check to keep it decently together but like, you know?” Adrien nodded hesitantly, not really knowing what he meant as he shrugged his jacket back off, tossing it on the bed before attempting to pull his pants off. The blond watched his hands fumbling with his buttons, almost oblivious to the fact he had a belt to take off too. The bandages on his wrists were beginning to soak through ever so slightly, indicating exactly how fresh the wounds under were. Between his actions and just the off-ness of this entire day, even he could deduct that something was wrong.

“Luka.”

“Hm?” He asked, looking up from his belt.

He took a step closer, “Are you okay? For real, if this is a cry for help, you’ve got my undivided, complete attention. I really care about you, and if something were to happen to you that I could’ve prevented, I don’t know what I would do.”

Luka watched him for a moment before turning back to his belt, “You’ll forget about me when you find someone else more fun. God I hate belts-- how did I even get this on--”

“Here,” he said, nudging his hands out of the way to unbuckle it easily, “Can you promise me you’ll be fine on your own if I leave? That you won’t hurt yourself?”

He smiled softly, leaning closer, only inches between them, “It’s not hurting myself when I can’t feel anything,” his brilliant blue eyes were distant, completely bloodshot. The last time he found himself this close was their time on the bridge; but he seemed more lost now, all hope completely void, “It’s fine blondie, you don’t need to keep worrying about me.”

“Then stop giving me reasons to.”

Luka laughed under his breath, not backing down from their impromptu staring contest, “Well I’ve made it this far, so statistically speaking, I’m not gonna run off and kill myself sucessfully. 0-2 aren’t great odds.”

Adrien watched him, trying to find out what he was getting at, “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“You can tell me if you’re not okay.”

“I’m  _ fine _ .”

He watched him for another moment before looking away, “C’mon Luka, I don’t know what else to say. I just hate seeing you do this to yourself.” 

The blond felt Luka lean in closer before pulling back, suddenly aware of the music on around them, turning to his phone to turn it up, “I  _ love _ this song--  _ they say that boys don’t cry, ‘cause all these-- _ aw, c’mon blondie, I’ve definitely sent this song to you before,” yes, he did, and Adrien knew the song, it was a good song, but he wasn’t going to get in on his adventure. Folding his arms, he couldn’t help but smile, watching him singing along enthusiastically, his face flushed as he half-danced along, trying to get him to join, “ _ I can get by the days just fine, but the nights _ ,” he laughed as the song ended, taking a few steps closer.

“You don’t even seem to be handling the days very well, if we’re being real here.”

Luka smiled as the next song started, a significantly slower song that wasn’t as easy for him to dance to, “Music is so good,” he sighed, draping his arms back around his neck, “God, I’m tired…”

Adrien pressed his lips together, he was all for touching and physical contact, but drunk Luka was a little too much for him right now, and was just getting on his nerves. And yet he didn’t mind enough to tell him to stop, “Hey, is this all because of what happened with Mari?”

“What? Okay okay okay. No.” The question got him to pull back, almost sobering him up the smallest bit, “Do you really want to know what’s wrong with me? Other than the chemical imbalance in my brain and paternal history of mental illness and addiction?” He didn’t pause long enough for him to take a guess, “I fall in love  _ so hard _ and so fucking fast it fucking  _ hurts _ sometimes. And you’re probably like, ‘gee, Luka, if you know this, why don’t you calm down’ and like yeah, sure that would be super great and I’d stop getting hurt and I’d stop disappointing people in that aspect, but why should I? It’s so fucking great to love unconditionally and is it really my fault that everyone I’ve ever fallen for hasn’t loved me in the same way? My love shouldn’t need to be limited.  _ Love _ shouldn’t need to be limited. When I love someone they’re gonna know.  _ Constantly _ . Because there were so many times in my life where I was so alone and I was scared and four chords and a beat kept me alive, but to love someone? That’s to  _ live _ .” The more he spoke, the faster he got, and the more slurred his speech became. It was a damn shame he wasn’t going to remember this in the morning.

“Luka, hey,” he took a step closer, reaching his hand to his shoulder to get his attention, “You’re going to find someone who’s going to accept your love, as infinite and great as it is, and hit you right back with just as much, maybe even more love than you give them. But you’re not going to find this person right now, or tonight in a one-night stand. They’re out there and they might not know them yet but they care about you and they’d want you to take care of yourself. But all I can offer is right now,  _ I _ care about you, and I’m right here for you.”

His eyes were wet with tears as he watched the blond, knowing he was right, “Sorry,” he laughed, shaking his head, “I should probably go to bed, huh.”

The blond “I’m going to get you some water while you get ready.”

“Aw, you don’t want to watch, blondie?” He joked, still very close to crying, “I can put on a good show for ya.”

Adrien laughed, shaking his head as he headed towards the stairs, “Let’s rain check that at least.”

When he returned, not even two minutes later-- finding glasses was a lot harder than anticipated-- most of the lights were off and Luka was sitting up in bed, under the blankets as he stared at his hands, shaking slightly. Adrien saw Sass fly off, waving momentarily before rejoining Plagg in the other room as he smiled, “You doing okay?”

Luka nodded slowly, “Just puked my guts out, so you missed a show of some kind,” he sighed, taking the water from him, “Thanks.”

“Need anything else?”

“You’re just like, always here.” he said, laying down, rubbing his face, “Don’t you have better things to be doing? Do you find comfort in watching me struggle with the bare basics of life?”

Adrien shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Nah, I just think you’re cool. I’m only over like every other week, but if you want I can...not, I guess?” he watched him carefully, unsure where this was coming from and where it was going; the last time he came over was to check on him for ten minutes on Sunday, and he seemed more than okay with him. What could’ve changed in the week? The last five days? “I’m gonna give you some space? Is that? What you want?”  
Luka shrugged, pulling the blankets up, “I don’t care.”

“I think you do.”

“Your presence isn’t just going to  _ fix _ me, you know?”

The blond nodded, moving his phone to his nightstand, plugging it in to charge, “Well you’re not broken, so I’m not even sure what I’d be pretending to fix.”

The older one clearly didn’t know what to say to that, watching Adrien carefully as if he was going to continue speaking, “I feel like all I do is thank you for dealing with me. Sorry I’m such a hot fucking mess.”

Adrien bit his lip, “You just went off about how you…” he sighed, knowing whatever logic he could rattle out would be wasted, “You’re clearly going through something, and I’ve got through things alone and it’s not something I would ever wish on anyone. I’m not annoyed or angry or upset in any fashion of the way, and honest, I have so much going on in my life. If I didn’t want to be here, I really wouldn’t be.” he paused, “Get some sleep, hit me up when you want to see me again, because if it was up to me, I don’t think I’d ever leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrino is my brotp and I will DIE for them.  
> also? ace Nino??? ACE NINO.  
> (do not worry, we get back to him)
> 
> boy, Luka's a fucking disaster, huh.  
> but uhhhh in my defense, I love him?


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time doesn't exist and nothing matters.  
> Also Adrien's a fucking nerd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this is the author and this fic is sponsored by uhhh *checks notes* hugging?
> 
> tw:  
> self harm  
> suicide reference

June -3-

_ Luka: hey _

_ Adrien: hey what’s up? _

_ Luka: are you busy? _

_ Adrien: depends. need me? _

_ Luka: if you’re busy, I don’t want to bother you _

_ Adrien: you know I’m coming over _

_ I’ll be there soon _

_ do you want to talk now? _

Luka groaned, covering his face with his hands, Sass hanging nearby, “I hate this kid. He’s too nice, it’s like he always knows what to do.”

His kwami’s head tilted to the side, “Is that...bad?”

“I don’t know. Like, I took him as a very oblivious kid because of the whole Marinette ordeal and just figured he was a dumb pretty boy. But? He’s really kind and patient? I really missed him when he was gone, Sass. Also, why is he so nice to me? Even after what happened last week? Even after what I sent him? He’s making me question  _ everything _ and I don’t like it.” He felt his phone vibrating, prompting him to pick up, seeing the other’s name, “Hey blondie.”

“Hi, hey-- you okay? Most people don’t message me at midnight thirty, but don’t even think about worrying if you disrupted me, I was just messing around on the piano, so nowhere close to sleeping.”

He smiled, rolling onto his side, “Thanks,” he said softly.

Adrien was quiet a moment, almost waiting to see if he wished to continue talking, realizing he didn’t, “I was with Chloe the other day and she quite off-hand mentioned wanting to get her nipples pierced, and I had to be all, ‘ _ Chlo _ , you’re still 17, you’d need to bring your father-- you know, the mayor of Paris--’ she didn’t want to hear what she called ‘stupid logic’ and instead insisted she was going to wait, she didn’t have  _ plans _ just an idea.” he sighed as Luka bit his lip, entertained by his choice of topic for a one-sided small talk, “And she proposed we wait until  _ I _ turn 18 and we could go together. I was like, ‘I am not getting my nipples pierced any time in the near future. First, I’m a model and that’s likely against some contract of mine, but more important, that just seems so painful. Why would you do that? No offense, if you have-- well I know you don’t unless it was very recent, but I’m not going to stop you if you want yours, I just don’t want it on me. I did offer to go with her if and when it ever did happen, but she sighed all dramatic and was like, ‘Oh  _ nevermind _ ’ like my God, Chloe, I’m trying to  _ support you _ stop being all passive aggressive like that,” he sighed again, “She’s so much better, for sure, but still is absolutely unbelievable sometimes.”

“Seems like it.”

“Sorry if it was a bit tmi, I just had to get that out there, most people I talk to don’t really care much to hear how Chloe’s doing. Also I’m almost at your place so then I can stop rambling to let you know I’m here for you and instead bless you with my presence. My silent presence. I’m arguably more enjoyable that way,” he paused, “Kinda rude for June to be this cold. It’s not just me, right? I always remember June actually feeling like summer, but it's a bit chilly this fine evening--”

Luka ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t necessarily ask for this rambling thought process, but it was feeling like exactly what he needed, and the blond knew that. And knowing the other, he was going to show up and know exactly-- all he needed was a distraction. Plus, he’d gotten really good at ignoring Sass’s attempts at it, rude, yeah, but the voices in his head were much better at projecting than his polite kwami. But Adrien seemed more than okay with talking about nothing and everything just to keep him from his own thoughts.

\---

“Heyo,” Adrien announced himself, turning the corner a few minutes later, “Sorry for oversharing a bit, I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about.”

“Hi. Thanks,” he sat up, crossing his legs as he looked down at his hands, “I should’ve asked before you made your way over, but could I-- are you able to deal with a lot right now?”

His head tilted slightly, “Y...es?”

“Like emotionally available? Like could I just dump all my thoughts on you? You can absolutely say no--”

The blond shook his head, slipping his shoes off, “I’m completely available,” he hesitantly sat on the edge of his bed, looking at him, “You can tell me anything.”

“Okay, so I want to apologize for last Thursday, I kinda did some...questionable things for like the entire week and I’m sorry you got dragged into that. I don’t really remember what I said to you, but I did read our text...conversation and...I’m sorry,” he clicked his tongue, looking back to his hands, tapping his fingers together, “I crossed a lot of lines and I honestly have no excuse for it.”

He smiled softly, swinging his legs onto the bed, sitting criss-cross in front of him, "Hey, don’t worry about it. We all do and say things sometimes. I was just glad to hear you were okay.”

“So I know you talked to my mother and she told you about my eh, past?” he continued to stare at his hands, “And knowing her, she likely framed it that it was a thing of the past, but it’s really not. Yeah, it was worse before, but it still gets really bad. Between me not getting out of bed, as witnessed-- or getting absolutely shitfaced to hookup with people I’ve never met, also...as witnessed…” he bit his lip, “But I’m handling it better, I swear, I just slip sometimes. I go to therapy on Mondays-- you asked why they’re a bad day for me. Sometimes the session is bad or hard or just not right and I just need time to just. Exist alone. So like, I went today, and between that, work, and this dumb orientation thing, I had a structured day that didn’t really allow me to absolutely blow myself up,” he paused, finally looking at him, “I swear I didn’t make you come across town to listen to my weekly agenda.”

Adrien shrugged, “I wouldn’t mind.”

“But like-- I do that. I take these antidepressants, and so you’d think I’d be like, relatively normal, right?” he shook his head, “Back before I got help-- the first time, I started to hurt myself. I was scared, I couldn’t feel  _ anything _ . So I thought, well, I can always create pain, so that’s exactly what I did. What I...do. God, I thought I’d be over it by now, I’m almost twenty?” he laughed slightly, “But it’s comforting? Fuck, this sounds ridiculous.”

He shook his head. He’d already kinda heard about this as Chat, but found it...reassuring he was actually telling him about it as himself. “No, it doesn’t. It sounds like a lot to have to deal with. I’m glad you’re comfortable opening up to me though.”

Luka smiled softly at him, “Yeah. You’ve just kinda been around at the right times, I guess. It’s not like a huge secret, they’re quite visible,” he showed his wrists, similar to how Adrien remembered from when he was Chat, definite fresher cuts in an ‘x’ overlapped the faded straight across scars that marked his forearms, likely what the bandages were covering last week. He looked at them and sighed, turning them back over, folding his arms in protection,“But in therapy we’ve been working on it for a while, but I would appreciate some...I guess help?”

“Yeah, absolutely.” he answered quickly.

“I-- oh, thanks.” he said, watching the other, almost taken back by his eagerness, ready to continue convincing him, “I just need a helping hand--”

He held his hands out in offering.

“No, I--” he laughed under his breath, “Thanks. I was actually wondering if you could get rid of my blades for me?” Adrien’s head tilted slightly, confused by the request, as he gestured to a small box on his nightstand, “I go through this dumb horrible cycle where I hurt myself, then can’t get out of bed, followed by more self harm, and whatever ‘risky behavior’ I choose to partake in for the cycle, and then I think I’m okay for long periods of time. It’s a whole lather, rinse, repeat type deal. Now, I went to therapy today and he really thinks I just need to eradicate the cycle before it starts again, and as long as I have something to hurt myself with, it’s gonna keep happening, and I should’ve-- okay I did do it a long time ago, but I always manage to find more. And he encouraged finding support and I’m sick of burdening Juleka with it, and you’re basically my best friend right now. But I don’t want this to feel like an obligation, it’s not your burden to bear.”

He nodded, “I’d love to help you. I can go dispose of them and be back in like, five minutes tops. Or, I suppose I can stay with you and take them when I leave,” he thought a moment, “Or we could even--”

“Blondie.”

“Right right right. Listening.” Luka looked at him, “I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”

His eyebrows furrowed together, “Why are  _ you _ nervous?”

“You make me nervous.”

“You normally don’t seem very nervous.”

“Thanks?”

Luka watched him a moment, “Adrien, we’ve known each other for nearly two years now-- given, I was gone for most of it-- have I  _ always _ made you nervous?”

Hesitating, as if actually considering, “No?”

He studied him for a moment, choosing not to comment on the potential implications of the situation, “Well, sorry, I guess? I normally talk to Juleka, but she’s with Rose, or mom, but she’s not here.”

Adrien waited for him to explain, “So...where is Anarka?”

“God, I forgot you’re like on good terms with my mom,” he shook his head, “A band she was in decided to regroup and so they’re up near Bristol writing more songs and they’re gonna tour for a bit. It’s exciting. I’m happy for her, but like, I miss her? It’s only been a few weeks, but fuck, I am such a mama’s boy.”

The blond laughed, “Yeah, guilty of that too.”

“You never talk-- oh  _ shit. _ I completely forgot-- I’m so sorry--”

He smiled, shrugging, “Don’t worry about it.”

Luka looked down at his hands, tapping his fingers together, “Could you stick around and help distract me?”

“Yeah. What do you want to do?”

He shrugged, not looking up, “You can pick.”

“Well I’ve got a large collection of podcasts I listen to pass time,” he paused as the other considered this idea, “No, wait, first, do you want a hug?”

Finally looking at him, he exhaled a laugh, “You’re always so quick to offer hugs.”

Adrien smiled, “Well I’m always down for a hug  _ all _ the time, so I think it’s best to be the one offering. Nearly everyone says yes, so if everyone voiced when a hug was appropriate, the world would be a lot softer and overall a more pleasant place.”

Luka shook his head, amused, “I suppose that’s a way to think of it.”

He opened his arms, as if egging him on as he pushed himself to be kneeling, “Yes?” He nodded, wrapping his arms around his waist as the other leaned closer, his arms around his neck. The hug was definitely one of the more awkward ones Luka had ever experienced, but with him it didn’t feel as such. The way Adrien hugged him, he noticed, was so sincere, there was no half assing in his embrace, just genuine appreciation in the moment. People generally liked things they were good at, so there was no wonder he was such an advocate for them, “See, don’t you feel like just the smallest bit better?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look at him as he exhaled a laugh, nodding. Adrien continued watching his face as his hands trailed down the other’s arms, stopping on his knees as he stared back, “I’m honestly relieved you didn’t take my hands earlier.” 

He laughed, leaning back, “Why’d you offer them then?”

“Because you said you needed a helping hand. It was more of a visual cue I suppose. A pun, maybe if we push it. Not a fan of hand touching, y’know?”

“But you want to hug everyone?”

The blond nodded slowly, removing his hands to look at them, “I don’t see what’s confusing. They’re my hands, I don’t like people touching them. I am very select over who gets to touch ‘em,” he smiled as Luka laughed, “Like Nino  _ sometimes  _ if I'm feeling really open one day. It’s also the whole hand-to-hand thing that I dislike so much too. Like  _ I _ can touch things, I get to touch things. Put people touching my hands? No thanks.”

“Okay so I suppose we’ll never find ourselves holding hands walking down the Seine,” he teased, watching him, “That was my plan for the rest of the evening, so now what are we supposed to do?”

“Well shoot dang, guess we’ll just have to…” he made a tutting sound, looking around for inspiration before looking back to him, “I thought I could come up with something on the spot.” 

Luka bit back a smile, shaking his head, “Fuck, you’re weird.”

He grinned, “You’re the one coming in with expectations on how I should be.”

“Oh, and you didn’t?”

“I don’t think nearly that much,” he said, almost proud as Luka snorted, covering his mouth, laughing as Adrien’s mouth opened in amused offense, “What? It’s not that funny--” he attempted to defend, laughing at his reaction.

“You’re just so proud of not thinking. It’s really funny.”

The other shook his head, as he shifted his weight to be crossing his legs again, opening his mouth as if remembering something to talk about, “Oh, that reminds me, you know Alix, right?” his hesitation prompted him to continue, “They’re in my class. Kinda intimidating, kinda short? Had pink hair for a long time, now it’s changing every few weeks-- I think you’ve met them before. Here, hold tight.” he said, reaching for his phone next to him, “Anywho, I’ve been running into them after fencing for the past few weeks, and every single time they give me something to think about or consider. Like today they just said, ‘drinking water with a minty mouth is the cold version of spicy’ and just left.” Luka laughed at this, and the other smiled at his reaction.

“I mean, they’re not  _ wrong _ .”

Adrien shook his head, showing him his phone, a selfie of the two of them, sticking their tongues out, their hair a dark green, “Well, their hair is blue now.”

“Oh yeah, I remember Alix.” he nodded, “What other types of things do they say?”

He smiled, leaning back on his hands, “The whole idea of time is a recurring one that I will  _ never _ be okay with. It just boils down to; time is fake and nothing matters.”

“Real words of wisdom.”

“I’m slowly accepting it. They also have a lot to say on the social construction of gender and how it’s both harmful and healing, necessary but at the same time completely worthless. I think I’ll need a real sit-down conversation with them about that before I pretend to understand it at all.” he sighed, looking at Luka, “My least favorite thing was they came up to me, stopped-- here, they took my shoulders,” he hesitated before placing his hands on the other’s shoulders, pulling him slightly closer, “and said, ‘we have absolutely no evidence today is Monday. We’re just trusting someone has kept track since the first one’.” he threw his hands up, falling back onto the bed as Luka laughed again, “I  _ hate _ it. It haunts my thoughts  _ constantly _ .”

The older boy, still laughing, leaned forward, “It doesn’t necessarily matter, does it?”

Rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, he groaned, “I  _ guess _ but it just builds on the idea they’ve been making since the beginning that time  _ doesn’t _ exist and is only used to provide structure and the illusion of control. We, as a society could just say, ‘tomorrow is Sunday’ and it wouldn’t matter. There’s nothing to prove it’s not.”

Luka smiled, propping his elbow on his knee, face in his hand, watching as the other pushed himself to his elbows, “I’m not saying you’re wrong-- but I think it’s just easiest to just not think about it?”

“It’s honestly gotten to the point where it’s not very willing,” he sighed, “I’ll be living my life-- even listening to music, hanging out with friends, during shoots, hm...listening to podcasts, it’s  _ constant _ \--”

“Hold up, hold up-- you mentioned this earlier too- You actually listen to podcasts?” he nodded hesitantly, “Never actually knew someone who does. It’s weird.”

Adrien pushed himself back up to sitting, “Okay, it’s not weird. There are some pretty great shows out there. I can always recommend some if you ever want to give it a shot.”

“No, I’ve tried, but my brain cannot focus enough to actually comprehend what’s happening. Plus I get  _ so bored _ . Really solidifies it’s the musicality of music that makes it so enjoyable for me,” he shrugged as the other watched him.

“You’re really making me second guess this friendship.”

The older boy clicked his tongue, “The fact that me drunk messaging you nearly naked pictures of me wasn’t a drawing line but me not listening to podcasts is what’s doing it for you says a lot more about you than me.” 

“Okay sure. But I am sure and certain of our friendship, you are my friend, and I have trapped you for life,” he smiled, shoving his knee lightly, “But I thought at the least you’d give it a chance. Now who’s going to understand my TAZ references? Chloe won’t listen either--”

“Sounds like you may need to branch out, blondie.”

He groaned, throwing his head back, “I don’t actually like branching out and meeting new people. It’s really a lot of work. I pick the people I like and spend all my energy caring for and supporting them,” he lifted his head to look at Luka, who was looking back at his hands, “You  _ are _ my branching out.”

“Well...thanks.”

The blond watched him a moment, “Okay, so I was thinking about you the other day,” this caused him to look up, “It’s a long thought process, but you clearly know  _ enough _ about DnD--”

“I’ve played a few times.”

“ _ What.” _

Luka smiled, “Yeah, I had some friends back in collége who got into it. Before everything got worse,” the other continued to stare, “What?”

“I’m--honest, jealous. Always wanted to play, and Max has told me knows a group but you’ve witnessed the inconsistency of my life so consistently getting together with multiple people is beyond impossible. But, anywho, I was re-listening to these people play and one of the NPC’s was named Luka, so of course I thought of you, but he was an enchanted skeleton of some kind--don’t remember his exact story, but a skeleton. Now that alone I was reminded of a song from one of your playlists---” the other raised his eyebrows, entirely amused by his ramblings, “Skeleton Boy? Neon Trees? So yeah, you’re a skeleton boy.”

He laughed, shaking his head, “You’re such a dork.

“You have a lot of really great songs,” he watched him a moment, smiling at his reaction before singing quietly, “ _ Oh, you’re a skeleton boy _ \--”

“ _ Just a relic from a former love _ \--” he paused, as if thinking, “Fuck, yeah it is a fitting song.”

“I only compare you to the best,” he joked, leaning in closer to him.

“ _ I’d take good weed over you anyday _ \--” he laughed, shaking his head, “You know, if you ever want to get high I’d be more than enthused to do it with you. I  _ swear _ I’m chill it was the bottle of pinot noir that made me like that-- but you’re already so weird sober I can’t even imagine what that would be like.” Luka offered, scooting to lean against the wall, “Plus I’ve got good shit that might be up to your pretty boy standards.”

Adrien laughed, pulling his knees to his chest, “Okay, I mean---not sure how to take that. Thanks? I might take you up later? I have every intention of not doing anything that could question the freedom I have the potential of acquiring for this summer,” the other looked confused, “If I don’t get caught sneaking out and get perfect grades, and am on time for things, and uhhh, what else do they want from me? A lot, really. But if I do that and keep it up before break, as long as I’m where I need to be and home by like, I think, 10pm, I get the rest of summer to do whatever I want.”

“Congrats on finally getting to live a relatively normal life? But also, you’re sneaking out  _ right now _ .”

“Huh, guess you’re right. But you’re worth it,” he offered a grin, “Plus they assumed I went to sleep hours ago, so no one’s really gonna catch me.”

He glanced at his phone, checking the time, “Shit it’s late and you probably have class tomorrow--” the blond shrugged, resting his chin on his folded arms, “Thanks for coming over. I don’t know what I would’ve--well, yeah I know exactly what I would’ve done. Also I don’t think I’ll ever be sorry enough for everything I said to you on Thursday?” Adrien smiled, looking at him, “You should probably get some sleep--”

“I really don’t sleep much. It’s like my body wants me to stay up late but also wake up early to enjoy the day so I rely a lot on caffeine. Like a lot. Coffee is truly my main lifeline.” 

“Doesn’t caffeine stunt your growth? Is that why you’re so short?”

“ _ Okay _ ,” he laughed, “First, that’s not true, second, I’m not short, third, I take a lot more after my mom, and honestly, I would rather be short than resemble my father in  _ any way _ ,” his tone was very serious but he still smiled, “Being six foot and smoking weed is not a personality.”

Luka smiled, “No, I play guitar too,” they watched each other a moment before both laughing as he shook his head, “Also, not quite six foot but thanks, you’re sweet.”

“Oh sorry, you have one thing working against you.”

He laughed, amused he was trying to attack him,“You’re a  _ model _ , blondie.”

Adrien shrugged, sighing dramatically, “I suppose I am,” he bit back a smile, watching the other continue laughing, “But hey, are you gonna start sending more playlists again? It’s been two weeks, I want some more Luka music,” he leaned forward, nudging his leg.

“Yeah yeah, okay, geez, I’ll get it to you tomorrow, it does take some thought and effort, I don’t just randomly pick them, there’s a process--” the other nodded, definitely not believing him, “I  _ do _ put a fair amount of thought into them.”

He smiled, “I don’t doubt it, you always got music in your mind,” Luka watched him staring back at him. Weird was the cover word for him, but it was easier than explaining that something just felt right being with him. Everytime they would hang out, he could feel the blond opening up just a little bit more, and each time left him wanting to know more. He was beyond thankful for him, but saying thanks so many times was making it feel like it was losing its meaning. “Okay but real talk, I should get home. Get a bit of sleep before whatever life wants to throw at me tomorrow. I guess I might be back on Friday? If you’d like that?” he looked at him expectantly. Yeah, he really would, “Or sooner if you need me, I suppose. But hey, let’s avoid sending half naked mirror selfies to me at 3am this time around.”

Luka felt his face flush, something he did  _ not _ expect, “I do not know how many times I can say sorry--”

Adrien laughed, standing up, grabbing his phone to pocket it, “You’re  _ fine _ , I’m just teasing, besides, I didn’t  _ really _ mind,” he stuck his tongue out as he turned towards the stairs, rounding the corner, “See ya--” his footsteps stopped before coming back down the few steps he made it up.

The older boy bit back a smile, amused as he walked up to him, “Yeah? You didn’t mind?”

“I was supposed to just walk off and--” he was trying hard to not laugh at the scenario he got himself in, “It was gonna be all-- I’m just gonna take this and--” he picked up the box Luka referenced earlier, “God, bye- yeah, bye?”

He laughed as the blond offered one handed finger guns before quickly turning the corner, successfully making it up the stairs, “See ya, blondie,” he called out, smiling as he shook his head, noting how much better he felt with him, and even after he’d left, “Fuck, he’s really something.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play Skeleton Boy by Neon Trees*
> 
> hey so if you haven't checked out I Can Feel You Forgetting Me by Neon Trees, you rlly should
> 
> it's also canon that Adrien watches anime so he's the biggest nerd and uhhh I love him?  
> also Luka's finally catching a break, I love him too???


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two bros hanging out on the deck of a boat not five feet apart bc one of them craves physical contact and the other really does not mind it (from him).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some background stuff u kno, what else is this fic for?

Late June -3-

“Father’s Day is coming up.”

Adrien looked at Luka expectantly, “Okay,  _ and _ ?”

He shrugged, “Just saying things.”

“We’re not exactly the type of people who would be caught celebrating such a day,” he said, laying back down on the couch where they were on the deck of the Liberty, sun setting around them. He was originally playing a few chords on his guitar, now sitting on the table in front of them, but he grew impatient with a melody not working, and called it quits after an hour. Plus Adrien felt the need to sprawl out, kicking his legs over Luka’s lap as he layed back on the couch, arms folded over his head. It was reassuring to him that Adrien was continuing to open up to him, even after all the chaos the previous weeks, and found himself truly looking forward to his spontaneous visits.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, we know my father, and well, not yours so much.”

He laughed slightly, flicking Adrien’s leg that was resting across his lap, “I suppose that’s one way to put it. Look at us. A simple duo with our own separate daddy complexes. You ever think how since you’re the only child you’re, by default, your parent’s favorite?”

The blond snorted, covering his mouth with his hands, “That’s  _ not _ true in the  _ slightest _ .”

He smiled, watching him a moment, laughing at the implication, “It’s  _ something _ , at least.”

“Okay my father is  _ not _ a fan, like would prefer me gone forever, and my mother is  _ dead _ . I’d hardly call this a win,” Luka pressed his lips together, unsure what to say to that, and it was like the other could tell, “But have you met your father? Like do you know who he is?”

“I-- Yeah, he didn’t have much interest. I was most definitely an accident,” he stretched his arms over his head, arching his back, not too relieved in the change of topic, “I met him when I was really little, and then my mom attempted to have us rekindle our non-existent relationship back when I was...fifteen? Yeah, I was dating Julius, and he didn’t say it to me, but I overheard him say some really homophobic shit. Wonder if it would’ve turned out different if he came when I was dating Mari,” he shook his head, “But he’s got like a family now, it’s wild.”

Adrien nodded as Luka smiled, amused by what he was thinking, “What?”

“Okay, so Jules and I have different dads, and while mine was kinda a flop, we’ve actually  _ met _ him,” he bit back a smile, realizing he’d never told anyone about this. Not Mari, who, even after eight months together did he feel right telling her this theory, “But I am so dead serious when I say-- I swear to god, blondie, her dad is Jagged Stone.”

Laughing, he shook his head, “Dude no way.”

“Dude yes way.” he nodded, “The timing really makes sense. I  _ swear-- _ stop laughing I’m serious and like 80% sure--”

“Does Juleka know?”

He nodded, “Yeah, no of course, I wouldn’t be able to keep this from her. I tell her  _ everything.  _ Also this is about her, so it would feel wrong to hide it.”

“So what does Anarka have to say about it?”

It always caught him off guard that Adrien was in such good terms with his mom. It wasn’t  _ bad _ , just not something he’d ever dealt with before, interest in his entire family right off the bat, “My  _ mother _ has yet to make a comment. And on that I’m going to take it as a yes.”

The blond pushed himself to his elbows, “You do know that’s not how consent works, right? Silence is not a yes?”

He smiled softly, watching him a moment, “Look at you, calling me out like that. But yes, I do know. Was this another Alix discussion you had?”

“Well they’ve mentioned it, but mostly Alya-- she covered  _ a lot _ last summer.”

Luka watched him as he zoned out on a point away from them, picking the best way to ask his question. There was something about him that absolutely fascinated him, and maybe figuring out more about his life would lead him to what exactly that was, “Has your dad always been so strict and controlling over you?”

“Hm…” he glanced at him before falling back down, “Yes, but also kinda no. So--” he started to explain as the other offered a confused look, “As a child I was like super sheltered-- when I say Chloe was my only friend, I mean I rarely ever saw other kids my own age-- well, Felix, but he’s family, so he hardly counts. My mother was living it up, my father’s brand was becoming huge, so I didn’t  _ not _ see them, but it was hardly a traditional structure. Nathalie was technically my father’s fashion assistant, but reached a point where she definitely spent more time with me than the actual clothes. My mother loved me but she was always so busy with everything she was doing, and the time we did spend together I absolutely adored. It was clear that my father only tolerated me because I made her so happy, which really feels like an awful thing to say, but it was proven too true after she...disappeared. The last month before she vanished she spent most of it with me, which, looking back, maybe she knew whatever was going to happen,” he paused, thinking, “She was also really sick a lot towards the end, so that was also probably why… But in general I just made appearances when you know, convenient. Kinda like a prop.”

“Fuck, you really had the potential to be a really fucked up kid.”

Adrien laughed, rubbing his face, “Honest, I think the only reason I was allowed to start attending school was he was sick of me. After she disappeared, he didn’t leave the house for nearly a year, kinda wanted me out of it, I guess.”

“So they wanted to control you-- it’s just so wild because your resume is wack as hell-- also, I recall way back when I was with Mari-- they talked about you  _ a lot _ . Sucks you could never hang with us, but they went off about how you hated modeling and were only doing it to please your father--”

He waved his hand, getting him to stop, “Okay, since we’re diving into it all. Many things. First, I wasn’t hanging out because I wasn’t invited, and once I realized, I stopped expecting, and even when asked and available, I would say no, hence the downward spiral we were in. Second, because of that, I started taking more shoots because at least I was included, and also the end goal is to be acting more, so the publicity helps. But why was modeling a pick? My father wanted control over every aspect, and it’s easy to control your model when they lived under your roof. What I ate, what I wore, what I thought, you know, everything.”

“I have some questions.”

The blond smiled, pushing himself to sit up all the way, “Okay. Fine. Hit me up and I’ll answer your greatest curiosities.”

“Fencing? Chinese?”

“Okay, fencing was  _ my  _ choice. It’s fun and also, I get a sword,” he smiled as Luka laughed, shaking his head, “But for real, I really enjoy the anonymity behind it, no one can tell who’s who and we’re all just people valued on skill and hard work without the whole biases tied to us. I’m not the most competitive but competitions are exciting, I dunno, I just like it? I got really into it with Kagami when we were kinda dating, mostly as a distraction, because that was right when...eh  _ everything _ went bad,” he shrugged, leaning back against the back of the couch, “As for the Chinese, I dunno, it’s the most spoken language in the world? Wanted me to learn it?”

“Huh, I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah, also my mom wanted to learn it or something, I dunno, might’ve just used it as a way to keep me doing it. It  _ worked _ , so I can’t criticize too much.”

Luka nodded, hesitant to ask, but he did bring up his mother again, “Can I ask what happened? When I was with Mari everyone said she was missing but the times you’ve talked to her you’ve said she’s--” he didn’t want to say it.

He pressed his lips together, looking away, “Yeah, I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but in October of that year you two were-- together, my father told me they’ve declared her dead, because it had been nearly two years and didn’t want to keep my hopes up or something,” he paused and the other didn’t know what to say to comfort him, “It was really hard, I didn’t realize how much I was riding on that small sliver of hope until it was ripped from under me.”

“No one ever mentioned this.”

Adrien shrugged, “I didn’t tell anyone. Just kinda changed my vocabulary when it was brought up, but people don’t normally bring up your dead mother without reason. I mean, you just did--” he laughed as Luka smiled, thankful the topic wasn’t making him too sad, “I isolated myself and put on a face, Nino and Alya only found out because I made a comment when she was giving me her lectures, and thankfully never brought it up again.”

“This is so shitty that it happened when they were excluding you. I  _ swear  _ I didn’t know--”

“I wasn’t supposed to know I was being excluded in the first place. But I’m, honest, not upset in the slightest. It was really tough to work through alone, but I’ve really done everything alone up to that point, and since then too, so it wasn’t like I wasn’t used to it,” he sighed, “Oh heck, I had Chloe. Don’t tell her I forgot her, she was there when she was originally missing too--”

Luka nodded slowly before wrapping his arms around his neck in a hug, surprising the other, “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” Adrien’s arms held him back tight, “I appreciate you for being here for me, it’s the very least that I be there for you in case something else terrible were to happen to you.”

He laughed, “Thanks, Luka,” neither of them showed signs of letting go. He really could not emphasize enough how right his arms felt around him, and hoped one day it wouldn’t be out of comforting each other but just because. Everyone  _ loved _ this kid, his face plastered everywhere, Mari never managed to shut up about him, and he was always such a ray of light, but he was  _ alone _ . He didn’t let anyone close enough to open up when things weren't going well, or in the sense that he was more comfortable in solitude than with anyone else, “It’s really fine, I’m used to dealing with things like that by myself,” he smiled, pulling his legs off his lap into his chest, crossing his arms on his knees, “Makes me feel like I can conquer anything now, you know? I’m not-- please, you look much more sad than I feel--” he chuckled, shaking his head, “I’m not sad, Luka.”

He sighed, far from convinced, “Alright, whatever you say, blondie,” he watched him set his chin on his crossed arms, “Hey when does your summer break start?”

Adrien stared at him a moment, “You do know Juleka is in my class, right? Why?”

Luka shrugged, pulling his feet to sit criss cross, “Okay, sorry for attempting to transition the conversation in a reasonable manner--”

“You’re not sorry, don’t apologize for things you’re not sorry for.”

He hesitated, laughing as Adrien smied, indicating he was both joking but also quite serious with his statement, “Well I’m excited to keep spending time with you,” he nudged his leg, his smile shifting into one of his dumb grins, “But I’ve got a tattoo appointment and you’ve expressed interest in wanting to go. It’s on Friday.”

The blond pouted, “So yeah, it’s the first day of summer but I’ve actually got a whole plate and a half of things to do. Thanks for asking though. Whatcha getting?”

“Well where’s the fun in that?” he joked.

“Do I get to know  _ where _ it’s going to be at least?” He leaned closer, watching his face carefully. Luka didn’t know what he was so enticed by, but felt it rude to look away, staring right back. Adrien was one to just say the things he thought, not wildly, just sometimes what he chose to say was wild. He always found it slightly concerning when he’d go quiet for periods of time, what other thoughts was he sorting through and what the evaluation process was to finally pick what he was going to say.

“It’s on my arm--” he gestured to the place on the inside of his forearm, close to his elbow, not breaking contact with the blond as he reached up, gently brushing his hair off his forehead, “Hey, what are you doing?”

Adrien quickly pulled his hand back, “Sorry, I thought we were at that point in this friendship--” he smiled sheepishly, looking away.

What the fuck did that mean. He laughed, “No, you’re fine. Did you notice my new piercing?” he moved his hair to show off his eyebrow piercing on his left side, a black barbell, “It’s quite new, so it’s chill you noticed.”

“Did it hurt?” He asked, immediately getting closer after receiving permission.

He shook his head, dropping his hair, “Hardly the most painful,” the other nodded, continuing to watch him, “Do you have more questions about my appearance or are you going to just keep staring at me all night?”

The blond laughed, pulling back ever so slightly, “Would you mind?” Luka honestly wouldn’t, but could tell he was joking, “It just really suits you. Your hair is just a little too long to enjoy it fully.”

“Oh, I’m actually planning on growing it out. Hopefully. Last time I thought I could, I got too impatient and cut it way shorter than I ever had,” he reached up, twisting his fingers in his hair, glancing at him, “Your hair is making some progress.”

He shrugged, running his hand through his undercut, “Yeah, I suppose so. Stop talking about me-- are  _ you _ going to try and rock a ponytail--”

“Are you opposing?” he asked, amused.

“No, no, no,” Adrien laughed, dropping his hand, “Definitely not opposing--” he tilted his head slightly, studying him closely, “You’d look good. Like,  _ really _ good.”

Luka smiled softly, “Thanks,” he hesitated, watching him a moment longer as he resumed his thought organization process, “Don’t you have a curfew coming up real soon?”

“Hm…” he reached behind him, grabbing his phone to check the time, “Yeah, probably,” he hesitated, and Luka just assumed he was checking his  _ many _ notifications on his lock screen before looking back to him, “Hey, would you actually be willing to teach me guitar?”

“Yeah, sure. Do you want me to teach it like you’re 10? I’ve gotten pretty decent at that approach,” he joked, watching as Adrien moved his legs to be sitting next to him, his hands on other sides of his knees.

He laughed under his breath likely at something he thought about, “The approach is up to you. And like, it can be chill just like whenever-- no pressure on either of us, you know?”

“Aw, blondie are you scared you’ll disappoint me?”

Adrien bit back a smile, shaking his head, “Don’t think it’s possible, really. And I have a  _ long _ history of disappointing people who care about me, so I’m pretty used to it by now,” he set his hand on his knee, leaning ever so slightly closer, maybe not enough to be intentional, but enough for Luka to notice. His bright green eyes stared back at him, captivating him for a moment as they flickered with admiration for the briefest seconds, reminding him of another time. He’d never seen it through Adrien’s eyes, but where else would he have seen it from? As fast as it happened, the blond turned away, grabbing his phone, “I should go, don’t wanna go turning into a pumpkin.”

“Her carriage was what turned into-- nevermind.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but laughed, shaking his head, leaving Luka to wonder what he could’ve wanted to say to that. He felt him hesitate before moving his hand from his knee, standing up to stretch his hands over his head, “Regardless, I’m not looking for a pumpkin tonight,” he offered his grin as he set his hands atop his head, turning towards the exit. 

“I would’ve hung out with you two years ago, you know.”

The blond laughed at the change in conversation, “Okay.”

“No, for real. I don’t know why you put on the whole pretty boy get-up when you’re so much more enjoyable as yourself,” his words clearly caught him off guard, having him pause for a moment, dropping his hands to his pockets, “I like knowing  _ you _ and your dumb thoughts.” 

Adrien smiled, “I haven’t even gotten started on anime yet. We’ll check in on that desire when we get to that.” He was amused, taking a significantly more playful approach to what he was saying, but Luka didn’t know how else he could emphasize that he meant it, “Guess I’ll be back when break starts?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come join the ~hangout series~
> 
> sorry i got Sad(tm)  
> and into anime again


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tries to get answers but ends up more confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyo i wanna say thanks for reading!
> 
> I super hecking appreciate you for making it this far and honestly just the idea that people enjoy(?) reading this really means a lot and helps motivate me to get it out in a timely manner

Late June -3-

“Oh hey, yeah, I remember my question.” Chloe said, leaning forward as she swiped a few times on her phone, not looking up. The two were sitting on her couch, aimlessly scrolling through their phones as the sun set outside, already bored from the first few hours of summer, “Yeah, what the fuck.”

“What-- what the what?”

“Alright, so I get it. I mostly respect your whole wanting to focus on yourself as a person, not who you like and allowing that to define you-- but you can’t just do  _ this _ and get away without a conversation at  _ least _ .” She shoved her phone in his face, open to a photo taken of him,  _ well _ , Chat Noir, from the previous weekend, rainbow flags littering the background with him laughing with several Parisians, a blue, purple and pink flag tied around his neck.

He nodded, unfazed, “Yeah, Chat Noir is bi, so what?”

“So you’re acknowledging it. That you’re bi.”

The blond pressed his lips together, as if it were a difficult question, “No.”

She groaned, “Adrien Agreste, in case you forgot, you  _ are _ Chat Noir.”

“Okay, well Chat Noir also kissed Luka, and that is  _ not _ something on my agenda in the future.”

“Are you  _ fucking _ kidding me--”

“So hear me out.” He placed his hands on his head as he leaned back on the couch, “Everyone was super chill. Super accepting. We had a grand ol’ time at Pride--”

“No, I honestly don’t care about what happened, just explain to me why you can’t just connect your attraction? This seems utterly ridiculous.”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, I suppose, but if I were to come out as bi right now--  _ big if, _ not a  _ when _ statement-- we’re not discussing it further today-- But if I were, that would be like,  _ huge _ red flags to make the connection between the two of us.”

“I’m sorry, so are we allowed to speculate on your attraction? Am  _ I  _ allowed to acknowledge you’re bi? Or are you going to live a split life where you are the sexy gay black cat in leather and the other half as the pretty model teen hearthrob trying to be the perfect child?” 

“Yes?” He offered as she rolled her eyes, “So. Back when I first got my miraculous, it was great. Fantastic. I got to be who I wanted without representing the brand, be the cool anonymous black cat. And I love being a flirt, don’t get me wrong, but being the strong funny hero constantly now just feels like such a chore--”

“Oh, poor Adrikins. Life is so hard when you’re adored by all.”

He laughed under his breath, nudging her leg with his knee, “Like, don’t get me wrong, I  _ am _ funny. And I am a flirt, but fuck yo, I want to be soft and ramble about dumb podcasts and reference dumb memes and anime I watch. But Chat’s such a cool kid, he would  _ never _ . So I guess I have three ‘me’s’: Chat, model Adrien and out of spotlight Adrien. Which is reserved for like, people I’ve known a while, and only fully, you, Nino, and I guess Luka, now. But like, you’re the only one who knows all three versions of me, and I feel the most...real with you,” he set his hand reassuringly on her knee as she exhaled a laugh, “Mostly because I knew you couldn’t say no because I was all you had.”

“Wait a second, are you implying if I didn’t present myself as so desperate, you wouldn’t be rambling non-stop about anime you think I should watch?” She shook her head as Adrien offered a smile as an answer, “Well fuck me.”

“Yeah, I’ll pass--” Chloe groaned, shoving him, “But I’ve been spending these past three years saying anything and everything, like, you know firsthand how I haven’t even been suspected of who I am. Ladybug has-- no, I am  _ not  _ telling you, Chlo--” she pouted, folding her arms, “She has very thoughtfully and carefully played her cards and, uhm… some of us  _ did _ figure it out-- do not tell her, she does not know-- but the problem with carefully laying cards like that is you can follow and trace them back.”

She had no idea where he was going with this. Sometimes he would just talk and maybe,  _ hopefully _ it made sense in his head, because it sure as hell didn’t in hers, “As opposed to?”

“Oh well, balancing the cards was way too much for me. I’ve opted into a complete game of 52-card pickup. The downside is, even I don’t know where the cards are. Maybe that’s not even a downside. I just spew things out that make sense in the moment, contradicting things I’ve said in the past-- like I told Viperion you’re my sister, so we’ll see when that is brought up again.”

Chloe sighed, leaning back on the couch with him. She was thankful of Adrien and everything he’d ever done and continued doing for her, but sometimes she really could not handle him, “Well, you brought him up, so I’m hoping on this opportunity--” she felt him sigh, dejected, “You still hanging out with him?” he nodded, not looking at her, making her realize she was going to need to force every bit of information out of him, “Why?”

“He’s my friend? Chlo--”

“Have you told  _ anyone _ else you hang with him?”

He hesitated long enough for Chloe to know the answer, “I’ve mentioned it to Nino--”

“So why haven’t you told anyone else? Embarrassed? Scared?”

“What the hell would I be scared of? Stop trying to apply your therapy tactics on me by reading into my actions--”

She exhaled a laugh, “Okay, fine. I guess...you’re friends with Marinette, but she was full on dating your ex, like no holding back, I don’t get why you can’t just hang out with him.”

“I’m  _ not _ dating Luka, I’m not  _ planning _ on dating Luka, and also mine and Kagami’s break up-- if you can call it that-- was just mutual and anti-dramatic. Luka and Mari were  _ good _ together, the timing was just wrong for them,” he shrugged, “I could see them getting back together eventually after Mari figures her life out and slows down, and Luka’s also doing really well. If anyone, they could definitely work through it and end up really happy again. It’s not the same.”

Chloe stared at him. Fuck he was annoying to talk to, always wanting the best for people without regarding they were their own people with emotions and ambitions. At least she was aware of it, she just ignored it most of the time, “So you’re hanging out with him to eventually get him back together with Mari?  _ Jesus fuck _ \-- it’s worse than I--”

“No, geez, not everything I do has a dark underlying plan, Chlo. I’m hanging with him because he’s nice and funny and he’s my friend, god, do I need a reason? Why do I hang with you? You’re not nice or funny, you don’t even play guitar, and I suppose you’re my friend but--” he laughed as she shoved him, annoyed he changed the topic again.

“Fine. I get it. You’re just horny for friendship,” she smiled as he rolled his eyes, “But back to the main problem-- not your intentions with that boy, but do you realize how absolutely shitty it is to use an identity like that? If you don’t think you’re bisexual and claiming to be, and for what?”

“I mean--”

“No, there’s really nothing to defend.”

Adrien pressed his lips together, “Yeah, okay, I guess there’s a decent chance I could very well be bi-- I really don’t want to think or talk about this--”

“So are you?”

His mouth opened, as if ready to defend himself before sighing, “I don’t know.”

“Can I ask a real question?”

“I cannot guarantee an answer.”

She shook her head, “In all seriousness, why are you so opposed to even considering your sexuality? It’s completely normal to question and experiment and like, even if at the end of the day you realize ‘hmm nope, guess I am straight’ it’s nice to know yourself, you know?”

Adrien crossed his arms, looking away from her, “It’s a lot to unpack, Chlo, and I’m not really in the mood to get into it.” He paused as she watched him, curious as to what layers of reasoning he was trying to work through, “I get so many labels just slapped on and now I have to figure it out myself? What if I don’t want any more labels? What if I pick the wrong label?”

Chloe shrugged, “Say ‘sorry I fucked up, this shit’s confusing’? I don’t know? No one’s saying you need to pick or decide anything, you’re just aggressively close-minded on this topic, and I just want to understand why. Open up to me, damnit.” 

He shook his head slowly, still not looking towards her.

“Oh  _ come on _ . You’re not telling anyone because you like to do things alone. And present yourself as this put together pretty boy for the world to see. So what? Your friends are all queer as hell, they’re not gonna judge you, if that’s really what you’re afraid of,” he shook his head, staring at a point on the ground in front of them, “Most people you work with are gay in some way, right?” he sighed, tapping his fingers against his knee. Even just an acknowledgement at this point would be helpful, “You’re in  _ fashion _ , no one’s gonna judge you on that. Unless it’s-- are you scared you’re gonna disappoint Gabriel? Oh, Adrikins, you should be used to that by now, live your life without his dumb judgement,” she watched him carefully for a reaction as he just pressed his lips together, not changing his gaze, “You could be thriving if you learn to let that go. You’re so sweet for still trying to be the ideal son but you should have realized at some point--”

“I swear, if you keep pressing on this I’m going to leave. I don’t care.” 

A silence fell between the two, Adrien’s tapping fingers became much more noticeable. She still couldn’t piece together a solid answer, just a bunch of overarching theories. But she didn’t get how he wasn’t even the vaguest bit curious to find out; she found the hardest part to be actually  _ telling _ people, which, might get easier in time, but had to actually tell someone to start. Chloe sighed, maybe she could say it right now. In this silence, get it out of the way, but it felt wrong? He wasn’t in a good mood and she still wanted to see how far she could press for more reasoning from him, “Press  _ is _ going to ask you.  _ Alya _ is going to ask you. Isn’t she bi?”

“She’s pan, but even with what I’ve researched and been told, I do not understand the difference, except that some people prefer one term over the other.”

“Huh,” she nodded, leaving them to both think a moment. She had to give him some credit, coming out so publicly definitely wasn’t something anyone considered Adrien doing in the near future, definitely helping his case, but  _ still _ , “So having Chat come out with a solid identity to up and contradict you and your inability to even think about it. Clever. If it wasn’t so, you know, terrible.

He shrugged, “Well you’re literally the only person in the entire world who knows. And if--  _ such _ a big if-- I get around to it and realize I am, in fact, ~not straight~ do you realize how much of a process me coming out would be? I don’t know what details are hidden in my father’s dumb contracts-- oh god, Chlo, I haven’t found a girlfriend and it’s practically summer break.”

Chloe laughed as he groaned, leaning his head on her shoulder, “Fake dating still an option--”

Adrien smiled, shaking his head, “Fake dating was  _ never _ an option.”

“Well not with that attitude. There’s so much potential-- Marinette, or get back with Kagami for a hot second, or me,” she pushed him back, nudging him with her elbow, “Hey, I bet Luka would be more than willing, especially if you tell him who you  _ really _ are and he wouldn’t even have to ‘get over you’--”

“Ha.  _ No _ . I already rejected him as Chat--”

“ _ Why _ ?”

“--so  _ hopefully _ he gets over it sooner than later. I really like him, Chloe, he’s so cool  _ and _ he’s gonna teach me to play guitar,” he looked at her, significantly more excited than she was, “Plus he invited me to go with him when he got his next tattoo--”

She nodded, “Hey so, wanna recap on  _ why _ you rejected him as Chat when you’re  _ clearly _ feeling some things for him, in whatever no-homo sense you want to disguise this as?”

He rolled his eyes, “Okay. Fine. For  _ you _ .” He sighed, as if preparing his thoughts, “He’s my friend and I care about him and want to see him happy. Him being with Chat is not only unrealistic, because he’s a hero--”

“He’s also a hero,” she pointed out, “If you really wanted it to work out, you could’ve just told him who you are--”

“I don’t  _ want _ to date Luka. That’s the big idea you’re missing.”

Chloe sighed, “Is that really it?”

“That should be more than enough.”

“I suppose in theory, but then why did you make up some bullshit excuse on ‘I’m busy and working out life’s greatest mysteries’ whatever you said instead of just saying, ‘ _ uhh, sorry, no thanks _ ’.” She raised her eyebrows, looking at him, “Is it because you might actually feel something towards him? Is that why you kissed him on the bridge?”

He exhaled before pouting, not looking at her, “I regret telling you  _ any _ part of my life. It meant  _ nothing _ . Chlo, we’ve kissed  _ several _ times and it’s meant less than nothing.”

“You were  _ bad _ at it, dunno why Kagami never broke the news to you. I couldn’t let you find out from god, I guess Marinette’s ex,” she laughed, “That would ruin a moment. Plus, I mean what if you want to do it again?”

“ _ Fuck _ , Chlo, stop it--” his tone was serious, “It’s  _ not _ like that.”

“Aw, does Adrikins  _ like _ him?” She laughed as his face  _ definitely _ darkened, “Does Adrikins want the pretty guitar boy to serenade  _ his _ heart?”

“Stop it,” he snapped, standing up, “I’m leaving. For real.”

She groaned, laying down where he was sitting as turned towards the door, “Adrien, come on, I’m just teasing you, you don’t have to be so sensitive--”

He stopped, turning back to face her, “Are you serious? I let you make fun of so many parts of me and I’m over it. You can’t just keep pressing people's boundaries. Like it’s the  _ one thing  _ I don’t want to talk about. Can’t you respect me that much?”

“God, I didn’t realize it was such a touchy topic--”

“Yeah, sure, what was confusing? Me saying ‘I don’t want to talk about it’? Maybe it was the ‘stop it’? How much more clear do you want me to get that I don’t need to justify my actions to you?” He sighed, shaking his head, “I don’t know what’s going on in my brain, you can’t expect me to be able to translate it to you for your convenience. When I say ‘I don’t know’ it’s not because I’m hiding things from you, it’s because I really do not know. You’re the only person in the world who knows everything about me. I’m telling you everything I know when I’m ready to tell you. You’re my friend and I trust you and I love you, but learn to stop,  _ please _ .”

Chloe nodded slowly, pushing herself to sit up, she definitely crossed a line she hadn’t been over in a good deal of time. “I’m sorry.”

Her friend laughed, running his hand through his hair, “Thanks. I’m still leaving.”

It was rare to see him all worked up as a reaction. He was really good at covering it, thanks to life in the spotlight, and then bottling it up for later. He was  _ good _ at bottling up his emotions for the appropriate time. When they first started hanging out, his initial rant about Marinette and Luka was a long time coming, and nearly every week had a new thing to just get out. Given, this only lasted a few weeks, and then they became significantly more spaced out, but even when she started witnessing the events happen, she didn’t see his reaction until they were behind closed doors safe from others, the public. She said she admired it about him. He said it wasn’t an admirable trait.

He paused, exhaling before he reached the door, “Bye, Chlo.”

“Hey, Adrien?” she heard the door stop, midway through opening, “Your dad’s not going to love you more if you stay straight in his eyes.” That was enough, she heard the door slam behind him. She didn’t need to say that. She was frustrated that he was avoiding the questions and didn’t even have a solid reason as to why. _She didn’t need to say that._ It was likely already in his head, and vocalizing it really didn’t benefit either of them, but she still felt the need for the last word, the last jab.

But still, she didn’t need to say that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if this was confusing...yeah, kinda the goal.
> 
> I kinda want to take a hiatus for the end of the semester (I don't have a lot to do, just -13% motivation) but I'm honestly scared if I stop I will never finish and I have over 100k words to still post and a lot of cute thoughts to share
> 
> ((I sWEAR lukadrien is coming))


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tattoos, tours, and censorship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh you thought I understood the canon layout of the Liberty? Well I had to establish it somehow. 
> 
> tw/  
> -mentioning of self harm/scars

Early July -3-

“Tattoo--”

Luka smiled, looking up from his guitar as Adrien walked on the boat, it was fairly late, with the sun already setting. He didn’t stop, coming right up to him, leaning over as the older boy looked up, “Hey there blondie, do I not get a hello? Are we already past that point?” he joked, watching him, as he didn’t react, nudging his arm to see it, “Fine, fine,” he laughed, resting his arm on the neck of his guitar to show him his fresh ink. Five black parallel lines ran along the inside of his forearm, close to his elbow, contrasting the faded white scars further down, “It’s a--”

“It’s a music staff,” Adrien smiled, looking at him, “I love it.”

“Yeah,” he stared at him a moment, long enough to make him self conscious, looking back at his arm as the blond sat down next to him, “Most people aren’t good at guessing.”

He laughed, kicking his shoes off to pull his knees to his chest, thankful to be with him again. It had been a few days since he’d been with Chloe, but her words were still cut in his mind, just existing with Luka was always such a breath of fresh air, “Most people aren’t thinking about music as much as you. All your other tattoos have so much meaning, tell me about it.”

“Well, all music starts out in these bars, from here, anything can be created, and I just really love the idea of potential, a reminder that everything great started in the same place,” Adrien felt him watching as he continued to study his arm. The simplicity of the piece worked well, especially with his scars, more prominent by his wrists, less distinct the closer to his tattoo, a balance of creation and destruction, in a way. He found himself slightly zoned out until Luka finally moved his arm, snapping him back to reality, “Whatcha thinking about up there?”

“I’ve always wanted a brother,” he mumbled, as the other smiled, amused with his potentially perceived random thought he arrived at. His thought process made sense to him, but he wasn’t going to explain it, “I’d take a sister too. A  _ sibling _ .”

“That’s fair, only childen are weird as fuck, so--”

“ _ Thanks _ .”

Luka laughed, “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just, you can tell when someone was raised alone. They’re so used to getting whatever they want, constant attention,” he paused, “I’ve only ever dated only children, maybe that’s something I should avoid…” He glanced at him before setting his guitar on the table in front of them, “ _ Anyway _ , it only means so much and it seems like you didn’t get any appropriate attention, so it’s weird. You’re so weird.”

He threw his hands up, “Do you have  _ any  _ other words to describe me?”

“No.”

The blond laughed, “Fine, fine. Do  _ you _ like having a sister?”

“I would die for Juleka. I love her so much.”

“You two were always at each other throats--”

“That’s  _ love _ , blondie,” he smiled as Adrien shook his head, “It’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t have any siblings, but like, yeah we piss each other off and like, we can make fun of each other, but no one else could even  _ dare _ think about it. Other than just petty sibling things, we haven’t really fought much, and considering we share a room it’s beyond impressive.”

Leaning against the back of the couch, he nodded, “She hasn’t been recently right? I just noticed her half of the room is not very lived in compared--”

“Well, our Mom’s gone, so we are taking advantage of the whole place, so she’s been upstairs.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen up there.”

“Do you...want a tour?”

Adrien watched him, considering the offer, “Yeah, I think that would be fun,” he nodded, standing up, “But you have to give it like I’ve never been here in my life.”

Luka laughed, joining him on his feet, “Fine, yeah of course. Go, get off and I can welcome you and everything.”

“I don’t want to put my shoes on though so pretend I just walked on. I’ll start right here,” he said, stopping by the entryway, right on the boat, “Oh, hi Luka, thanks for having me over, what a beautiful...place you have. I should’ve brought a gift, what a terrible guest I am.”

The older boy bit back a laugh, “God, you’re such a dork. It’s fine, blondie, your presence is gift enough,” he walked to join him, opening his arms in a hug, which he took, wrapping his arms around his neck. They separated, Luka’s one hand lingering on the small of his back as he looked to the rest of the deck, “Also, she’s a houseboat, her name is Liberty. But uh, thanks for coming? I’m glad you made it safe?”

“Oh gee, why am I the actor in this duo?” Adrien teased, nudging him with his elbow, smiling before looking to the deck, “What a lovely...space-- boats always have weird terms for things like hull and starport-- I don’t know what either of those terms even mean--”

“It’s okay blondie, we’re not going anywhere, so just treat it like a house,” he dropped his hand, as if suddenly aware it was still there, “But uh, the hull is the underside, and starport is this side here. You can just call this the deck, I’m not going to quiz you. But uhhh..” he gestured towards the area. The stage was always present, even with the impromptu seating area in front of it; the couch, two chairs and coffee table atop a dark grey rug. There were boxes on and around the stage, giving the place a quite cluttered and lived-in look. Adrien was the most familiar with this area, as it was the only part he’d seen when he was with the band. The entire area was lit with string lights hanging around the outside, illuminating it in a warm light, “Yeah, you know this area. Also with this whole thing pushed aside to use the stage.”

“I’ve never been here before, so--” he said as Luka rolled his eyes, amused with his follow through, “Am I gonna get a show?” he asked, referencing the instrument.

“We’ll see. We’ve got the rest of the boat to explore,” he said, turning towards the stairs down to the lower level, “Bottom to top work for you?”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he nodded, “From most to least familiar, I suppose.”

“Most familiar with bottom?” He repeated, watching him for a reaction, but he instead offered a look of confusion, causing him to smile, “Yeah, I bet.”

“I’m...glad?”

Luka laughed, leading him down the stairs to his room, which he had seen nearly as many times as the deck, “Well, here’s this room, the bathroom,” he gestured vaguely, “I don’t even know what to say, they’re just rooms.” 

“You’re doing fantastic,” Adrien laughed, bumping into him playfully as they continued through the doorway by the foot of his bed to the next space, a living area, with a couch and tv to their right, the left  _ all _ their instruments, many displayed, mostly guitars and basses, “What about this room? Why do we never hang out here?”

“Our instruments live here?” He shrugged, “I like being on the deck better, I guess, especially when it’s nice outside.”

The blond nodded, walking closer to look at the different guitars, “That’s fair. You guys have a solid collection. I also don’t think I’ve ever been in here.”

“Okay, so that’s definitely not true. Might’ve looked different years ago, but I’m fairly certain you have,” he said, watching him admire the instruments before continuing straight back to another door, “Yeah, no, you and Kagami came by and she asked if I was Mari’s boyfriend.”

Adrien laughed, “You have a very selective memory.”

He shrugged, grabbing the handrail as he made it up the stairs, the other following behind, “I suppose so,” he laughed, recalling the moment, “I was so incredibly excited when she suggested that, even if she was just joking around--”

“We can absolutely pretend she was rooting for you and Mari--”

“Well, we know  _ you _ were.”

He smiled, watching him as he caught up with him at the top of the stairs, “Well,  _ yeah _ , I just wanted you two to be happy, which you were together,” Luka looked away at the suggestion, “And Kagami wanted to make sure she was out of the way.”

“Oh, pretty boy is such a threat, huh?” he teased, leaning over the back railing overlooking the water flowing from under the boat, “Getting all the girls.”

Adrien smiled slightly, joining next to him, “Yeah, I guess. I never got it, I’m really overhyped sometimes.”

“You think highly of yourself,” he smiled as he slid the short distance closer to him as he continued to stare out.

“Hey, wanna know what's recently been bugging me?” Adrien didn’t wait for an answer as the other continued to watch him, “People just assume they know me. And people really like my face value, pretty boy get-up, and I don’t blame them, but I don’t feel like me? So when they like me they like this illusion of me? This safe, censored version?” He wasn’t sure how to express this feeling he attempted to share with Chloe the week before, still not finding a good way to phrase it, “But like, I  _ get _ it. I’m pretty and nice--  _ stop laughing _ , I’m serious--” he laughed, nudging the other with his shoulder, “How do I put it...like, you’ve got a get-up too, the whole edgy musician with your hair and nails and piercings and tattoos-- plus, you’ve got this  _ look _ that’s kinda scary-- and people just  _ assume _ they know you without bothering to actually know you.”

He thought a moment, watching him, “Yes, and?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

The older boy sighed, looking over the water, “I mean, we’re always going to be judged and perceived by other people and, ultimately, you’ve got two main choices. Let it control you and everything you do until you reach a point where you no longer recognize yourself and eventually die unhappy or just say fuck it all and do what you want-- what makes you happy, and maybe you’ll die content with life.” A silence drifted between the two before Luka nudged him with his elbow, standing up, “You’re like the coolest person I know, so I wouldn’t go overthinking it too much. C’mon blondie.”

Adrien nodded, following him closely through another door into the kitchen, another room he’d been in before, but he’d only come in from the side doors on the main level. With the walkways on either side, it was a smaller room wide, but was longer than either of the lower level rooms. The not-starport side had the oven and sink, making an ‘L’ in the corner with the stovetop and refrigerator against the other wall. Larger matching windows were over the sink, providing a view of the riverfront, and over the small round table with four chairs on the opposite wall, a view still higher than the sidewalk outside. The houseboat always felt so lived-in, and may be the reason he found it to be so comforting, so different from his own home. Taking it in, he turned to look at Luka, who was clearly watching him the entire time, “Can I help you?”

“I’m not here to judge, but do you know how to cook like,  _ anything _ ?”

“Please take a moment to look at my life and tell me what part gives any sort of indication I’m competent at anything in the kitchen,” Luka shook his head, eyeing him up and down, causing him to hesitate, adding, “I  _ did _ get really into a cooking anime so I tried to learn with Nino’s help but he quickly gave up because I was pretty much hopeless.”

He bit back a laugh, greatly amused by this information, “That statement is a lot to unpack.”

“We could just throw the whole thing away--”

Luka shook his head quickly, “Oh, no way, we reached the weeb part of pretty model boy, there’s absolutely no turning back at this point, we’ve gotten past the what did you say, censored version of you, and I already really like what I’ve seen,” he bit his lip, watching him for a second before clearing his throat, “But I would be more than happy to teach you how to cook.”

“First, you say that now, second, you’re gonna teach me to play guitar first.”

“Fair. We could do both. We’ve got all summer, or well, until you get bored of me.”

Adrien nodded, “I’m not going to get bored of you, Luka.” He’d never gotten bored of anyone, that would be such a rude thing to say, but there was no way possible at this rate; he still had so much to learn about him, and he’d already grown so much in their time together. The thought of spending enough time with him to witness this repeatedly while getting to know him made him excited in a way he’d never really experienced before.

Luka continued watching him as he folded his arms, leaning against the counter, “You really think I’m scary?”

“No, knowing you now, you’re pretty harmless--”

Exhaling a laugh, he shook his head, “That’s not a common descriptor people use for me.”

“I mean--” he pressed his lips together, thankful he wasn’t offended, “It’s just this look you have when you’re annoyed or angry--” he raised his eyebrows, clearly amused, “Where if I didn’t know you I would definitely rank you more towards the intimidating side--”

He smiled, “Are you trying to tell me you were scared of me at one point?”

“I wouldn’t say  _ scared _ \--” he shoved his hands in his pockets; he didn’t have the words to describe how he felt about him, not before, recently or in this moment, “I just-- in  _ contrast _ to the first impressions people have of me compared to theirs of you…” he lost himself. Most people didn’t like hearing ‘don’t know’ as an answer, and growing up he was taught it wasn’t even an answer, just an excuse.

“Ah yes, the prep and the punk. What a duo we are,” he laughed again, shaking his head as Adrien bit his lip, thankful he took something from his jumble of words, “You’re something else, blondie,” he smiled as Luka continued to watch him before standing up, gesturing towards the door leading to the outside, “Shall we finish this?” He nodded, following behind as they walked down the walkway along the river, the city lights capturing his attention for a moment before running into Luka, who had stopped for apparently the same reason, “Sorry-- what a terrible tour guide I am,” he offered a sheepish smile, gesturing towards the shoreline, “City of Lights, City of Love, whatever suits you, I know my preference,” he smirked, eyes lingering on him for a moment before continuing down the walkway.

Adrien felt himself hesitate as Chloe’s words were suddenly front and center in his thoughts; he hadn’t thought of Luka that way before  _ ever _ , nor had he made indication he had, so why did  _ she _ jump straight to that conclusion? Definitely more on her than him. But what if he  _ did _ ? That would be  _ bad _ , right? All he knew is that he liked being with him, and that was enough of a reason to continue together. They rounded the corner, heading up the stairs to the top level when he exhaled; Luka was right on the idea that maybe he should just give up on what others thought of him to be happy. He didn’t have to justify himself to anyone, even himself; Chloe was  _ never _ right about things like this, and Luka was the biggest romantic sap he knew. There was no hidden implication in his statement, it was just how he was, and there was  _ no way _ he was excited at the possibility it was more than that. He didn’t want to think this; thinking was the first step to making things real, making his own brain his own worst enemy. He had to distract himself, “Hey I’ve got a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“So you’ve mentioned...Julius-- and I know you were happy when you were with Mari--” he watched him hesitate before turning to look at him from the top of the stairs, “Did you date anyone between or after or--”

Luka watched him for a moment, as if trying to calculate the possible intent behind the question before looking out over the river, “Uhh..hmm… yeah,” he sighed, “Not gonna get in on all the girls I fell in love with in collége, that’s a whole other thing. But there was a guy who I fell pretty hard for, but,” he clicked his tongue, “We’ll just say it was a no-go. That was before-- hmm… not to sound like  _ that _ guy, but it was before, after, and maybe a little bit when I was with Marinette. There was a girl I met in Belgium, and ended up spending a lot more time there than I anticipated, that’s kinda how I am. Before, how I think we talked about this, how I fall in love ‘at the drop of a hat’, as Jules likes to say--” he exhaled a laugh, walking to the side walkway next to the main control room, “But it takes me  _ forever _ to get over people. I realize I like them, and I’m planning the next six years of our life together. It can be a  _ lot _ for most people. Also apparently means I have attachment issues or whatnot. But I’m  _ fine _ if I don’t have someone, I’m not like constantly looking for someone to fill a void in my life, I just love people a lot when I do love them, and I just have to deal with it.”

Adrien nodded, following him closely, “Why do you keep doing it? The falling in love part?”

Snorting, he covered his mouth, looking at him, “What do you--  _ how  _ do you ask something like that?” he blinked a few times, his question was pretty reasonable;  _ he _ was the one who said if he didn’t have someone he was fine, “It’s not really a choice most of the time, but when it is equally reciprocated it’s fucking  _ amazing _ . Like, hm,” he tapped his chin, thinking, “It’s a  _ beautiful _ thing when you love somebody, like-- would you say you’ve ever been in love? How watered down do I have to make this?”

“I don’t want you to water yourself down for me,” he shrugged as Luka opened the door to the bedroom, “You’re much more...you when you’re uncensored. I like that you best.”

The older boy pressed his lips together, “Okay, uh, alright. I’ll take that as a no--” Adrien laughed, walking inside, “I think I told you about this-- but there’s like no warning. I’ll see someone and my heart wants what it wants, I guess, no controlling that. But I always thought it was me-- they’d get overwhelmed with me giving too much, so I began to tone it back-- as you put it better, I’d  _ censor _ myself,” he laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“At what point did this happen?”

“Oh, Julius. Back in collége I was  _ a lot _ . A new girl would show up, I’d fall in love by lunch, and let her know the next day,” he sighed, collapsing on the large beanbag in the corner under the side window. He laughed, running his hands through his hair, “Julius approached me when I was messing around playing in the park, like, unprompted. I don’t think I ever fell in love so fast. And he was older, so I knew I had to calm the fuck down.”

Adrien nodded slowly, “Honest, sounds like you just wanted attention.”

“Yeah, probably, but like, we hung out a few times and it was the first time my affection was reciprocated. I could argue that was a factor, but I’ve definitely fallen in love with people who didn’t feel the same way back. But we did end up dating for a deal of time-- let me tell you,  _ lotta _ firsts for me, if you get what I’m putting down--”

The blond laughed as he walked up to him, playfully stepping on his toes, “No, I don’t-- could you explain? I just really don’t understand what you could mean--”

Luka shook his head, clearly amused, “You’re something else blondie. But hey-- here’s this room I gave you an entire tour for you to see. You got me talking your ear off.”

“Oh, I really don’t mind, I like hearing you talk,” he looked back around the room, nearly the same size as the one downstairs, with a slightly higher ceiling and a full bed instead of two twins. Towards the back of the boat--  _ the stern _ \-- was a door to what he assumed was another bathroom. The walls were a light purple, string lights hung around the perimeter, definitely a look all the Couffaine’s enjoyed. Under the window opposite the one Luka was under, was a desk, littered with papers and a few miscellaneous clothing items on the chair, the bed was half-made, clearly recently used, “So that’s it? You’ve surrendered to censoring yourself to be loved?”

“Fuck, blondie, don’t read me so plain, come here,” he said, patting the space to his left, “I’d say my goal is to find someone to love my uncensored self. My extreme love. Maybe I’ll match with like, a black hole or something--” he smiled as Adrien laughed, carefully sitting then lying next to him, “But for now I’ve got me.”

“I think you’re completely loveable uncensored.”

Luka laughed, looking at him, “Thanks. Doesn’t mean  _ that _ much from someone who’s  _ never _ been in love, but I suppose I’ll take it,” he joked, reaching over to the wall to unplug the string lights as Adrien shoved him.

“Didn’t realize you had so many options to source your love from,” he joked back as the room went dark, “Okay, so you’ve led me to an empty dark room, do you have some sort of hidden agenda you’d like to share?”

“You don’t need to worry, based on my track record, I’m not going to fall in love with you, I’ve known you for too long, it would’ve happened already.” Adrien felt him turn his head towards him, prompting him to as well, his eyes still adjusting, but very aware of the close proximity to the other. A few moments passed just watching each other in the darkness before a smile flittered across Luka’s lips before he exhaled a laugh, elbowing him playfully, “Probably not what you had in mind. I’m not going to murder you, either.”

“Well, heck, what else is there?” He smiled, following his gaze to the ceiling, now covered with thousands of tiny hand-painted stars, dripping down the walls, “Woah.”

“Yeah, I know. Last summer Juleka and Rose spent  _ hours _ painting this. I mean, I wasn’t here, but this is clearly not a simple one-day project. Used glow-in the dark paint, it’s pretty chill,” he laughed under his breath, “This past winter I’d hang out in here and scare the shit out of Mom. I’d prefer real stars, but light pollution, getting out of the city is a whole thing, you know.”

Adrien nodded, looking back to him, “So why don’t you take this room?”

“Well, because I’m a fantastic older brother-- let’s place emphasis on that--” he smiled, looking to the blond as he laughed, “Also Rose spends the night a lot during the summer, and a twin bed can be tight, and I’m not really in the position to be sharing the bed with someone soon. But more importantly, the shower is downstairs, plus this room is always sunny and I’m definitely a later sleeper.”

“So I shouldn’t surprise you at like 6am?”

“Please don’t,” Adrien could tell he was still watching him, “I mean, I’d still be happy to see you, and wouldn’t turn you away, but if you could avoid it.”

He sighed dramatically, “I mean, I  _ suppose _ \-- if you’re so opposed to napping together as a pastime.”

“Is it really napping at 6am?”

Adrien turned his head, mouth opened, ready to defend himself as the other watched him expectantly, for his explanation, “Napping is more of an emotional state than anything.”

Luka watched him for a moment before laughing and he couldn’t help but smile; something about seeing him so happy made him absolutely elated. Considering when they met he was much quieter, more reserved, covering his mouth when he laughed, and now acted like he had nothing to lose.  _ Uncensored _ , and he absolutely loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I didn't have an Adrien perspective for a Hot Second and he's always fun
> 
> now we are Formally in Lukadrien summer, welcome.
> 
> I have finals up til Saturday but 28 is pretty close to done so we'll see how life goes  
> as always, thanks for reading <3


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hair dye (pt. 1), playlists, and making information known

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's a monday
> 
> sorry I had some finals to finish up but now it's winter break! and I have no more excuses to take a week for a chapter that's already mostly finished!

July -3-

“Don’t mean to point out a theme or anything, but this playlist had a  _ lot  _ of love songs on it. Nearly all of them, actually.”

They were at the houseboat, on the deck as Luka walked around, foils in his hair, giving himself a much needed re-dye. Adrien sat on one of the chairs, legs tucked under as he scrolled through the playlist Luka sent him a few days before.

“Hm. I didn’t notice,” he walked over to look over his shoulder at the list on his phone, “Well, I mean, calling some of these a love song is a stretch--”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Some of them are unrequited, one-sided or just sad, but love is love,” he looked at the boy who was still reading the list, and offered a shrug.

He crossed his arms, leaning against the back of the chair, “Does it upset you?” he teased.

Adrien shook his head, turning to face him better, “No, they’re all good songs, just pointing out what I notice.” Luka looked at him expectantly, “It’s just so many love songs? Got someone on your mind? Found someone to settle on after your string of affairs?”

“Okay, not all love songs, and for your concern,  _ no _ . Not actively looking either. People can think about love without actively being in love, believe it or not.”

“Yeah, I  _ guess _ , but if you didn’t even notice that they’re all love songs, it seems to be more so in your subconscious if anything. Maybe you haven’t even realized it yet,” the older boy sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to stop unless he interrupted, “Wow look at you, falling in love and not even realizing. That’s gotta feel special huh.”

Luka glanced at him then looked away, “They’re good songs I thought you’d like.” He  _ knew _ when he was in love, and there wasn’t anyone he would even think twice about in his life at this point in time, “I’m really taking some time to work on  _ me _ , and honestly, I don’t think I’m going to fall in love and  _ not _ be aware of it.”

“That can happen, you know.”

“Yeah sure, but it’s not right now.”

The blonde smiled, watching him, “Alright  _ loverboy _ , let it be on record that I do not believe you. But if you ever want to talk about it, I’ll also let it be on record that I am likely the least qualified person you know.”

He bowed his head, laughing, “Okay thanks, maybe I’ll find someone more qualified, like maybe a rock, but what did you think of them?” he rested his head on his hand, which was met with the sound of crinkling foil, causing him to bolt up, hand blue, “Oh shit.” Adrien tried to cover his laugh as Luka offered his hand out, “Do  _ you  _ want some dye, blondie?”

“Oh no, I’m so good, I’m hoping to make it to my next birthday.”

“You’ve never wanted to dye your hair?”

“I definitely have. But people really like my natural ‘do. I do recall a certain someone not even liking me  _ cutting _ my hair,” he leaned his head back, looking up at him, “Now, unless you want to personally explain to Gabriel--”

“I’d really rather….not. Your hair’s got a lot of potential, what if we do just a little---” he reached, running his clean hand through his hair, nearly back to it’s regular length, “Fuck though, you do have really nice hair. It’s so soft and thick and fluffy-- it should be a crime to mess with it--” he stopped, noticing him staring back, “You’re probably sick of people of people touching you.”

He shook his head, “People love to talk about me, but as Nino says I’m ~touch starved~. Could be from the neglect in my childhood, but,” he laughed in a very unbelievable fashion, “Who am I to theorize? But I really don’t mind.”

Luka smiled and continued running his hand through his hair, “Maybe we’ll wait to dye it, you’d look good in a nice pastel,” he paused, watching him, “You’ve very cat-like, you know?”

Adrien closed his eyes, “I’ve been compared, yes. Why? Do you want me to purr?”

He felt something in him stutter, a feeling he was not familiar, nor comfortable with. He was overcome with the urge to just...kiss him?  _ What _ ? No. Maybe the love songs actually  _ did _ mean something from his subconscious...oh no. This was nothing, Adrien  _ was _ pretty, he was more than comfortable saying that, and this was nothing more than the acknowledgement of that, if it even was anything. He felt himself entranced by the other, fingers still loosely tangled in his blond locks, interrupted by his alarm going off, reminding him to rinse his hair. This startled the other, who sat up, “Just gonna...deal with--” he stood abruptly, heading towards the stairs.

“Do you want help?”  
“Do you want to shower with me?” he threw back quickly, intended as a rhetorical question as he opened the door to the lower level.

“I mean, if you’re offering.”

The comment, regardless of being a joke caught him off guard, glancing back to the blond, a dumb grin plastered on his face, before heading down the stairs. Closing the bathroom door he sighed, his kwami appearing beside him, “Sass, I’m  _ fucked _ .”

\--------

“So I know you think the songs all being love songs have their own hidden message, but did you like any of them or were you too distracted?” Luka had reappeared from the lower level, towel around his neck as his hair dripped dry.

Adrien still hadn’t moved, staring at the sky, “You denying it is the only reason we’re still talking about it,” he finally looked at him, clearly unamused, “They were all great.”

He shook his head, leaning against the armrest of the couch, “If you’re not going to believe me, I’ll say, I dunno, it’s important to always have a playlist of love songs in case you fall in love with someone and need to let them know,” he defended. Honestly, one of the stupidest excuses he could make; Adrien  _ knew _ he made each playlist specifically for him, “When you fall in love as fast as me, it’s good to have one ready.”

“Oh, well, do you have a person?” he didn’t answer, “Did you send it to this person, loverboy?” he laughed at his lack of reaction, “Alright, alright, not the time. Do not think I won’t follow you up on this discussion. I live for my friend’s romantic lives.”

Luka laughed under his breath, “Is that because you have nothing going for you?” Adrien’s mouth dropped open in offense, “If you want I can send over some angsty ones. I have plenty of those saved up.” he sat down on the couch across from Adrien, careful of how his hair was dripping, “Got a whole list of songs I can’t bring myself to listen to.”

“Wh- oh yeah. Hm,” he pressed his lips together, thinking a moment, as if not sure how to respond, “I’m very much looking for more fun than that. I’ll be sad when I’m sad but I don’t want to make myself sad, you know? But maybe one day.”

“Fair enough,” he nodded, “Life is already full of enough heartbreak,” he picked up his phone, feeling Adrien continue to watch him. He hadn’t put much thought in the first dozen playlists, a few songs from various bands, hit songs he’d probably already heard of before, but this was the first playlist he picked out songs that reminded him of the blond. Songs that he thought he’d enjoy hearing, and he just summed them up as  _ love songs _ ? They... _ were _ , but that didn’t necessarily mean-- he sighed, “Hey, how religious are you?”

This clearly threw Adrien off guard, “Is there a right answer?”

Luka laughed, glancing up from his phone, “Whatever you say is correct. I know you’re not aggressively down-your-throat religious, which I think is the only wrong answer. I mostly just want to know if religious music is out of the question.”

“Well no music is out of the question, hit me with anything,” he shrugged, “But honestly, I haven’t really considered religion since my mom died. When I was little we used to try and go to church every week, but now that’s just more connected to her memory than the religious aspect of it. I couldn’t bring myself to go  _ alone _ \-- also very much not allowed to go alone-- and so I stopped. Honestly haven’t thought about it in years…” he trailed off, still thinking, “What about you?”

“Oh, me and religion don’t get along. No disrespect, I just think there might be a god of something out there, but who really knows. If they’re not helping us when things are bad who cares.” he looked back at his phone, “What’s the point of having power if so many people are going to suffer under you?”

Adrien was visibly amused by his more morbid viewpoint, “I suppose I shouldn’t get you started on the government.” 

His eyes widened, shaking his head, “Not unless you want to be here a while.”

“I have all the time---wait, is today Friday?”

He nodded, “Yes indeed.”

“Well just kidding. I actually have a date tonight.”

Eight different emotions passed through Luka’s mind, “I do not want to talk about the government, but I do  _ need  _ to hear about this.”

Adrien laughed, pushing himself to the edge of the chair, “Aw, are we jealous?”

_ Maybe _ ? “Honestly, mostly confused.”

“It’s a setup? Kinda a blind date, I suppose. My father is concerned I am 17 with no expressed interest in someone, which is, I’d say, not completely true, I just don’t talk to him about that stuff, never have. But also,” he shrugged, “He’s kinda right.”

Luka felt his mind stutter, unsure what to say, “Really?”

“I mean, there was someone a few years back, but that was a whole thing that came down to nothing. She got with some guy and even when she was single again, I couldn’t see what I saw, I couldn’t feel what I felt. I still love and appreciate her a lot but like, I guess romance confuses me,” he sighed, “So he’s setting me up with girls until I dunno, I find the love of my life I guess, or the end of summer, dunno which will come first, this is my third one already, with zero success. I’ll let you know how it goes. Oh, fun fact, my father’s initial pair up for me was none other than Kagami, and we all witnessed how that unrolled.”

He smiled, still taking in everything he said, “Fuck aren’t we a disaster bi group,” Adrien laughed, making him very aware he projected a label on him; kinda rude and quite assumptive based on nothing other than personal interpretation, “I mean-- I don’t want to assume, Marinette just came out, and I know myself, and I then Kagami-- I dunno...you?”

His laughter remained a grin as he shrugged, “I mean, I doubt it, not high on my list of concerns.”

“I can respect that.”

The pair watched each other in the silence, “I looked into the album you sent me last night, and what was the point of asking if I’m religious after you sent me a Christian rock band. There’s literally a song called  _ God _ halfway through the album.”

Luka smiled and stood up, drying the ends of his hair with the towel, “Okay so they’re a good band and only like half of their songs, actually it’s only a few of them are actually religious, especially in their new albums. And the non-religious ones aren’t all love songs either, so don’t fret, you’re safe from those.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “Gee what a hero.”

“I’m just showing you new music, which, if I recall correctly, was your initial request.”

“Bold of you to assume I can remember things from a few months ago.”

He was greatly amused by the blond’s confession, “At least you know yourself, huh? Thought you were a smart kid. Weren’t you top of the class or something?”

“No,” he deflated, “Alix was, but I was second. My father got offended that I was one-upped by a girl but I had to explain to him that Alix isn’t a girl and that really set him off, and did  _ not _ help my case. But I’m not stupid. We all say and do dumb things on occasion. I don’t know what I did that made it my key character trait.”

“That’s fair,” he watched him a moment, probably the obliviousness towards girls feelings towards him, Marinette especially, but he wasn’t going to tell him that, “Maybe people say it because they know you’re not and it’s just like a teasing thing? What have you done?”

Adrien shrugged, “It’s the little stuff I guess. You’ll see it first hand eventually where there are some things that I just don’t realize and most of the time they’re really embarrassingly obvious once they’re pointed out,” he pressed his lips together, looking at the ground by Luka’s feet, “People really like to call me oblivious and I really do not like that so I’ve been I guess working on that. Takes time after people assume things about you.”

“Guilty until proven innocent, huh,” he said as he walked around, stopping to look at the river by the side, startled when he noticed Adrien had joined him, “Fuck, why are you so good at sneaking?”

He shrugged, leaning over the side, “You said yourself I am cat-like.”

Luka snickered, watching him as he watched the river flow under the boat. There was something about him that fascinated Luka. He was such a public eye, on billboards and tv and magazines, but was still so soft, so full of hope and wonder. It could’ve been something to do with his sheltered life, but he was open to ideas and ways and the best possibilities. His visits were the absolute highlight of his weeks, and the few days he knew he wouldn’t come he found himself dreading, waiting for the next time to see his dumb face. He was also the only one who came out of his way to check on him after Mari, and even following through months later. A fair amount of Juleka’s friends were also his, so if they came by they’d say hi, but nothing like him.

And through it all? His downward spiral in May and plea for help the following month, he was more surprised he’d stuck around long enough for him to figure out, despite everything, it was all alright. Adrien was a big advocate for friendship, as his only friend for so long was Chloe (before her redemption arc, yikes), but this felt a bit...more, but maybe he was just being hopeful. He realized he was staring when he noticed Adrien looking back at him expectantly, “Did you say something?”

The younger boy grinned, “You were really lost in thought there, huh? What’s on your mind?”

He leaned against one of the pillars, looking out over the water, unsure how truthful to answer, “You.”

Definitely confused, “Me? Why?”

“I appreciate you.”

His face lit up, “I appreciate you too!” Luka felt the other boy study him, trying to figure out what he meant, if anything, by the apparent random gratitude.

“It’s important to vocalize the positive thoughts. Like if you like someone’s shirt, tell them, someone has a beautiful smile, let them know. It’s just a thought passing through your head but it can really make their day.” Luka shrugged, “Something I’ve been trying to work on more.”

Adrien was still smiling, “That’s fantastic, I love it. Really changed the mood so I will  _ not _ be repeating what I said, and hm. A conundrum.”

“You know you have to tell me now.”

“It will  _ absolutely _ kill the mood.”

“Mood? What mood?”

“This calm, quite positive one. You’ll  _ definitely _ want to throw me overboard,” he took a step away out of arm's reach as a precaution.

He rolled his eyes, amused, “Adrien, you are not, in any way, helping your cause. Also, I won’t throw you overboard--well not right now. No promises for the future. But I like you.”

“Actually quite reassuring.” he sighed, in one breath, “So I said, ‘you said yourself I’m cat-like’ and you laughed, which is also when you stopped listening because I then said, ‘I heard you had a thing for cat-like people’,” he put his hands on his cheeks, “Because...Chat Noir?”

Luka’s mouth dropped open in offense, “Okay.  _ Okay. _ Why do  _ you  _ know about that? And depending on your answer, I might revoke what I said and still throw you overboard.”

“I was with Alya when Marinette told her. She was busy pretending I didn’t exist so she didn’t notice I was there,” he winced, holding his hands up as Luka took a joking step closer, “And I kinda figured the guy before/after and during was...him?”

“Oh good god,” he groaned, covering his eyes, “Yeah, you got me. Not really the fun fact I’d prefer to be broadcast to the world. So that’s it? Fuck, I told her that in confidence.”

He shrugged, “If it’s any consolation, nearly everyone was or is crushing on at least one hero, most of them I could see it. Now for you, I personally think it’s absolutely hysterical and also quite cute,” he joked, clearly feeling safe from his threats, “Don’t get me wrong, I will  _ never _ let you live it down, but in, like, the most caring way possible.”

Luka laughed, leaning on the railing again, “Thanks blondie.”

Adrien smiled, “Hey, what are friends for?”

\----------

Early summer mornings were Luka’s favorite times to go on runs. The tourists wouldn’t be up yet, and the weather would be bearable enough to genuinely enjoy it; just some music and minimal distractions. He’d go through phases where he ran a lot more as it was a much more short term and less questionable way for him to feel pain. The sun had barely just risen when he turned the corner, nearly running into someone, half turning to apologize, “ _ Désolé pardon _ \--”

“Oh. Hey.”

He stopped, realizing he recognized the flash of blond hair, turning all the way, walking back to him as he removed his earbuds, “Oh. Hey to you too.”

Adrien smiled, lowering his headphones, “Running, huh? Never took you as someone who does cardio,” he joked, poking his side as he caught his breath.

Luka laughed, running his hand through his slightly damp hair, “Sorry to surprise you, I guess. What--” he glanced at his phone, “What are you doing up at this hour? Also- important- how did your date go?”

“So I listened to the album you sent me- like three times, I love it, and I’ve been working my way back through all the playlists you’ve sent me. I’m--making some good progress. Definitely over halfway--”

“I’ve sent, 10, or what, 11? I guess I skipped a few weeks, and they started short, but that’s still-- a lot--,” he nodded, “Wait, blondie, have you just  _ not  _ slept yet?”

“I have 13, and now what, you care about my well being?”

Knowing he was  _ mostly _ joking, he still found himself exasperated by the claim, “Yes, absolutely.”

He smiled, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Took inspiration from Nate Ruess?  _ But, I’m not sleeping tonight, we’re slipping into midnight, under harsh-- _ no?” he offered, singing a bit from a song Luka had most definitely never heard before. “It’s a good song but okayyyy.”

“I can’t believe you continuously deny your ability to sing--”

“Okay shut up,” he grinned, “Oh wait, let me relate to more of your preference,” he held up his hand, as if pausing the scene, to remembering the tune, “ _ No, I won’t sleep tonight, oh oh, I want some more, oh oh--  _ yeah?” he half sang before laughing as Luka smiled, shaking his head.

“Aw, look at you, remembering things,” he teased, “I can’t believe I was blessed before the sun has even risen,” he watched the blond for a moment, leaning closer, “Now, is that the only line from the song you’re relating to?”

The blond laughed again, shaking his head “Alright, calm down loverboy, you just pointed out how the sun hasn’t even risen, so let’s tone down that flirt game. But really?” He looked him up and down before leaning closer, “Nah, no I’m not gonna--” he laughed, shaking his head, “It’s too early for this, I’m not gonna say I want you to eat my heart or whatever the lyrics are.”

“Well I never wanted you unsatisfied,” he teased, stepping closer, the blond’s green stared back, glistening in the early morning sun. He opened his mouth as if to rebuttal, but closed it without saying anything, pressing his lips together as he continued to watch him. Luka could only imagine what was going on in his head, finally taking a step back, breaking him from his contemplation, “You good, blondie?”

“Wow okay I’m really feeling this,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his head

“Typically why we, as humans, sleep every night.”

He pouted before smiling, “Well, between the date and music, I just haven’t found time. I’ll get there. Some of these songs hit hard, yo. So good. This newest album you told me? Best thing you’ve recommended by far--”

“You’re welcome, I guess?” he laughed at his passion, “But your date, how did that go? Find true love?”

Adrien shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows, “Nah, nope. She was really sweet, a bit arrogant, but definitely so so much nicer than the first two.”

“So I’m assuming no second date.”

He laughed, “Yeah, no. Maybe it has to do with knowing my father picked them out. I should look into dating on my own, but it’s...it’s a lot. People already know me and I don’t think I like that.” Luka nodded, “Did you know some people just don’t experience romantic attraction? I was talking to Alix about it--”

“I was going to say, sounds like an Alix topic.”

“We don’t talk much, but when we do, they just shove so much new information down my throat. It’s always so...I dunno, enlightening? To learn about things like that. Things I never considered,” he smiled, causing Luka to smile back, “Anywho. Music, 10/10, you, 10/10, date, not so much. Anything happened to you these past few hours?”

Luka shook his head, “Nothing interesting to report here. But I would find it quite…hm... reassuring if you got some sleep, like, now please.”

“Well, anything for you, loverboy,” he started to grab his headphones, “You know, if you sent this album to me back in February I would’ve stopped bothering you ages ago.”

His face dropped at the idea, “Aw, you don’t mean that.”

“Who knows. Now that I know about them, we’ll see if I ever come visit again. New music was the only thing I kept coming back for.”

“Oh yes. Easily able to be achieved with a simple google search, he realizes, five months later,” he joked back.

“You said it,” he shrugged, pulling his headphones back on, “See ya never, I suppose.”

He clicked his tongue, “Dramatic,” he shoved him lightly as he stuck his tongue out at him, “Go take a nap or something before making choices like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play Harsh Light by Nate Ruess and Animal by Neon Trees at the sAME tiME*
> 
> dumb stupid sappy nickname: acquired 
> 
> well now that he knows that he knows...hmmm
> 
> thanks for reading! I appreciate you and i pRomise chapter 29 will be here sooner


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate, weed and confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w  
> recreational use of marijuana 
> 
> hey also don't do drugs if you're underaged. i'm not endorsing that.  
> if you're of legal age and it's legal fucking go wild i don't care, stay safe though.
> 
> fun fact? this was one of the ~original~ chapters, meaning it had the mOST editing to get it to its current location and was also written back in like, May (WILD, I know)

July -3-

“You’re what, 16?” 

He exhaled, shaking his head, dispersing smoke in all directions as Luka took the bong back from him, “I turned 17, thank you.”

“What?  _ When _ ?” he coughed.

Adrien continued shaking his head, now in disbelief, “This whole time I’ve been seventeen, and literally last time I was here I mentioned it. My birthday is in  _ April _ .”

Luka opened his mouth, slight embarrassment crossing his face, “How come I didn’t know that?”

“I don’t have an answer for you.” amused, he crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch, looking up at the sky, “You didn’t ask.”

“Okay, but why didn’t you mention something?”

He shrugged, “Well for one, I wasn’t here. But also, birthdays aren’t really my thing. Parties aren’t either. When I was younger I wasn’t allowed to go, so of course it was all I wanted. Jokes on my father. Had he let me go to a few when I was younger, I would’ve realized I hated them, and therefore would’ve stopped asking.” he watched him exhale, blowing smoke up to the sky.

“You really don’t like people knowing about you, huh.”

“If people ask, I’ll answer. But I’m not one to just go telling people stuff. That’s how an entire school finds out you’re crushing on Chat Noir,” he grinned as Luka turned to glare at him.

“Okay, okay, I get it. It’s funny. But honest,” he set the bong down to turn and face him, “Look me in the face and tell me you blame me.”

Adrien burst out laughing, covering his face with his hands, “I’m sorry-- it’s just---” Oh boy, Luka really was still feeling things for the cat. He pouted, confused by the blond's reaction, “Could you maybe, I don’t really  _ know him _ , you see, so maybe you could just, I dunno, sum up what you see in him?”

“Okay. Know what? Fine. Just for you, blondie. My oral essay of why I love Chat Noir. Would you like me to link you with credible sources or is my own opinion enough?” he asked, as serious as could be as the other showed no attempt at calming himself, “I know you’re still laughing and you think it’s funny, but I’m dead serious about this. First things first, he’s fucking hilarious, and the whole foolish goofball but knows how and when to get serious really is like 10/10. People hate his puns, but they’re straight fire. Second, he’s so nice. Compassionate. Oh, where’s Chat at the end of the fight? Comforting the victim or other people involved. He acts so cocky sometimes, but  _ fuck _ he’s so sweet. I would die for him, but honestly, he wouldn’t even let that happen,” his laughter shifted to a stifled giggle, he never realized people noticed him running off like that. “Those are real reasons, but honest, you’ve seen him, right?” Adrien had to cover his mouth to keep from screaming, laughing through it, which Luka was doing a great job at ignoring, fixated on his justification, “He’s so pretty, like I know his eyes are like a costume thing but I could stare at them for  _ hours _ . His dumb messy hair and his stupid grin--  _ god _ his arms? His  _ everything _ ? He thinks he’s such hot shit which is fine because he  _ is _ . He does this thing where he drapes his arms over his staff and  _ god _ . Fuck, I don’t know, nor do I want to make such a strong statement, but I really think he made me realize kinks I didn’t know I had. The leather? The ears? God I hate saying it. He could kick me in the face and I’d thank him. His clawed hands? More than welcome to choke me any time. Oh, and I know you said--”

“No, god, wait---” he waved his hands in surrender, “Give me--” he wiped tears from his face, “I’m sorry, my face  _ hurts _ from laughing. You’re just so- passionate- about--” he exhaled, trying to stop laughing as Luka just shook his head in disbelief, “Please, I’m sorry, don’t let me stop you again,” he stifled back another snicker.

Luka stared at him until his laughter died down to him biting his lip to keep from smiling- and failing, but still an attempt, “I’m going to blame your reaction on being high, but like, I don’t get how you and Chat have never met. I think you’d get along with him really well, you’re both really compassionate and sweet. But you’re such a nerd and he’s just so…” he stopped mid thought, watching him before shaking his head, “Besides you’re just two pretty blonds, so even if that’s all you could relate to, it’s still something. I’m gonna deflect and change the subject back to you. So Chat Noir, clearly not your type, sure I guess. To each their own, but do  _ any _ of the heroes...?”

A  _ loaded _ question alright. God, Adrien wished he was sober to analyze it. Damn, there was no real ‘safe’ option here-- “Viperion.” god  _ fuck _ he could’ve just said no.

Luka snorted, “ _ Why? _ ”

“Sorry but I don’t have a TedTalk prepared for you like you had for Chat Noir,” Adrien knew it was his thing to compliment the heroes who didn’t know he knew, but this was hardly the time for it, and  _ yet _ . “I just think he’s cute.”

Transfixed on something behind him, a smirk danced its way across his face as he shook his head, “Goddamn it, blondie.” he sighed, running his hand through his hair, “Have you ever even kissed someone before?” he nodded, “Just girls or any boys?”

Slightly surprised he paused, “Yeah...I guess I have.”

His gaze shifted to him, “You guess? What part confused you?”

Well Chat Noir kissed him- but it was still him...right? It was something he’d might consider doing without the mask, maybe not now, or soon, but eventually right? “It’s complicated,” he said, trying to deflect, “Have you?”

“Well if you ever need an example to help clear that confusion---” he laughed as Adrien shoved him lightly, “But I’m not going to answer in part of it being a dumb question I know you said to deflect the attention back to me after I deflected it to you,” he said, confused by his own words, “Do you  _ remember _ any of our past conversations? Plus I was in a relationship with a guy, you know,  _ Julius _ ? But more importantly, once Chat Noir kissed me, so fuck you for laughing.”

He inhaled, trying to keep himself from losing it again, “Aw, did ya like it?” he joked.

“Did I--” he laughed, “Yeah, I really did. I  _ really _ like Chat, okay? I don’t know what it is; I thought it was a dumb crush-- I mean it is, he’s a hero, and I’m, well, me. But it’s been  _ years _ . But he also made it very clear he’s working on his own life right now, and I respect that. Guess I could wait around for him, but we’ll see,” he sighed, glancing at him, “Do you have a problem with that? Some people really did.”

The blond bit his lip, carefully watching the other, “No, not at all.”

“Okay okay,” he leaned closer as if telling him a grand secret, “But you can’t say anything because I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”

Adrien leaned in too, giving the illusion he was intrigued by his adventure, “Your secret’s safe with me, loverboy. That information could lead people to think you might actually have a chance with him.”

Luka clicked his tongue, “He  _ is  _ bi, so it’s not  _ completely _ unlikely,” he paused, shaking his head, “The fact you’re so mean to me when you’re high just really makes me….sad.”

“Well you turn into a little chatterbox so I need to exist to keep you in check,” he teased, playfully bonking his nose. 

“If I don’t keep talking I will 100% fall asleep. And falling asleep when you’re just two people alone is kinda rude,” Adrien rolled his eyes, knowing he was talking about him, “Also, the antidepressants I’m on really super kill my libido, and when I smoke I feel like? Maybe normal again. Hence the whole stoned and tipsy duo I would do for hookups.”

He smiled, amused by his confession as Luka kicked his legs over Adrien’s lap, leaning his head against the back of the couch, “Yeah?”

“I mean, I guess I’m not as sad as I used to be, and I’d argue it’s good I’m not actively suicidal,” he yawned, “Win some lose some.”

“Life is full of unfortunate compromise.”

Luka laughed at this, “I suppose so. Like falling in love with someone.”

He waited for him to finish the statement, which never came, “Are you just being sad or do you want to elaborate on that?”

“Hmm...no.”

“Fair. I’ll respect that.” he nodded, settling back into the couch, resting his hands on the other’s knee, tapping his fingers absentmindedly. 

“Here’s the thing though.” he sat up abruptly, as if forcing himself awake from his dazed state, “I was never  _ ever _ mad or upset with Marinette with what happened. When I dated Julius, I was only like 15? And he was...20? No, 21?” He made a face, thinking, “We’ll check that later. But we definitely had fun for a while, but I mentioned the possibility of being pan or bi and he  _ lost it _ , said I wasn’t ‘fully gay’ and because of that I wasn’t ‘right’” he used airquotes, disgusted with the contained words, “He said I’d have to decide, but then he dumped me, straight up ghosted me after like six months.”

Adrien nodded, watching him, “Sounds like a dick.”

He beamed, “Oh my god, blondie, you cursed- I mean, almost.”

“What? I’ve definitely cursed before.”

“Not around me you haven’t.” he reached up, patting his cheek almost as a congratulations, “I get a lot of ‘hecks’ and general avoidance of alternatives.”

He shrugged, “Makes it more effective when I finally do use them?”

Luka chuckled, hand dropping down to rest on his shoulder, continuing, “But like, I don’t blame her. Sexuality is confusing, especially if you’re not like, 100% straight or gay, or fuck, poor people’s whose romantic identities don’t line up with their sexual identities. And then you’ve gotta stick one of like three well known labels on it, odds are you’re gonna need to compromise,” he sighed, hand moving down his arm, head dropping, “It’s exhausting.”

“I bet.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Not straight. Oh if you were, you'd be my token straight friend, wouldn’t that be exciting. You could wear black and white to Pride with us, I mean it passed already but do you want to come to pride next year with us? Me, Rose and Juleka have been going for the last few years with some other friends, oh they’d be so excited---” he stopped, noticing the amusement on his face, “Sorry.”

Adrien shook his head, “Don’t be sorry, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. I was actually invited by Alix this year, but I couldn’t go, unfortunately. Hm. I mean people like to make their speculations about me, but I think I’m pretty straight, but I dunno, I suppose? I’m not really big on talking about it...and really, this comes up everytime, you’ve kinda got a fixation on my sexuality, huh? Like you really want a solid answer from me.” Luka looked away at the suggestion, as he laughed, “It’s fine. Was there another question?”

He shrugged, “Genuinely don’t remember. I was talking about Mari. What really got me-- what still really gets me is how she didn’t tell me what happened. I really don’t think I wouldn’t have been mad at her, really. I’m big on working through things and talking it out, but she just broke it off without considering. I mean, she eventually told me but like, I found out from Kagami first when you two came over. Brings another question--  _ why. _ ”

“She felt terrible. You know Kagami, once she decides something, it’s happening.”

Luka nodded, “Okay. Fair. She is like that. I’d enjoy seeing her again before she leaves, you know, to make sure she knows I don’t hate her.”

“I’ll be sure to let you know when the opportunity presents itself.”

He sighed, folding his arms as he stared off as if deeply considering his previous and upcoming thoughts before looking back to him,“Oh hey, another question, do you hang out with me out of sympathy?”

This caught Adrien off guard, “What?  _ No _ .”

Clearly skeptical, he narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to him. “Why else would you be here? And keep coming back and sometimes just read for hours near me and just...exist? Don’t you have better things to do? You know my tragic backstory and you kept coming back to check on me- there’s really no way-- Everyone else just leaves when I get bad, if I don’t push them away first, you know? And you just didn’t care-- ” his aimless rambling got faster and faster, as Adrien watched intrigued, as he leaned closer, “Really I wasn’t even nice to you the first few months, I was mostly annoyed so why else would you have kept coming back--” Adrien took his face in his hands, almost forcing him to stop.

“I do it because I  _ like you _ , Luka. You’re my friend and I  _ care _ about you. I really like spending time with you and you’re important to me. I get how sometimes you don’t want to talk or do anything but I want you to know I’m here for you. I like just being around you. There are no secret reasons, no  _ hidden agenda _ behind wanting to spend time with you. No sympathy, no pity, nothing of that sort. I fucking  _ like  _ you.”

The harshness of his words caught him off guard, staring back, lost in his green eyes. He was serious. “It is more effective when you don’t use them often.”

Adrien smiled softly, dropping his hands, “Exactly.”

“Sorry.”

“Why?”

“For accusing you-- since the everything, I just spent so much time pushing people away that I forgot that people could actually  _ care  _ about me. I’ve got this ridiculous belief that everyone I love is gonna leave me and now you’re upset that I even--” he stopped when Adrien wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

He allowed the silence to settle before pulling back, “Hey Luka.”

“What?” 

“First, I don’t really get mad, and I sure as heck wouldn’t get mad at you. I get how you could think that, but if it’s any comfort, I did show up twice before even getting told your past, which made zero impact on me wanting to get to know you. I mean, I did do some research online to understand--”

“Wait, wait, wait. Researched what?”

He shrugged sheepishly, “I just don’t have personal experience with depression, so I did some looking into it to understand what you’re going through and what to do to help--” he glanced at Luka, who looked close to crying, “It’s no big deal, really I do it to all my friends if they mention something I don’t fully understand, like Nino being ace, Alix being agender, I just want to, you know, know about you and help. It’s not your job to educate me.”

“I could kiss you right now.”

“Alright loverboy,” he put his fingers to his lips as he jokingly moved closer, “First, do not fall in love with me, it really has never ended well for anyone involved. And second, it’s literally the most basic level of respect out there.”

Luka leaned his head against the back again, “Has anyone ever done that for you?”

His eyebrows furrowed together, thinking, “I mean...I couldn’t imagine what they would look up. Nothing too unknown or interesting about me.”

“That’s still a no.” he shook his head, “I get why Mari was  _ in love _ with you. You’re literally the most pure human I have ever met.”

Adrien laughed, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, okay.”

“I don’t get why people wouldn’t like you.”

“Uhm.” he shifted to face him better, “Two distinct times you personally didn’t like me,” he cleared his throat, Luka admiring him, entertained, “Right around when you and Mari broke up, you were  _ not  _ a fan, and then, let’s see. February.”

Luka shook his head, “I suppose, but take it with a grain of salt, I stopped taking my meds in December both years because I was happy and happy-drugged Luka decided because I was happy, why take the drugs that are making you happy? The human brain is greatly flawed.”

He smiled, leaning his head against his arm on the back of the couch, “Indeed it is.”

“And it always takes me-- the  _ three _ times now I’ve had to start them again-- it always takes  _ weeks _ for my mood to stabilize again and it’s not an excuse, but kinda explain why I was so shitty to you a few months back.” 

“You’re fine, you really weren’t mean, I am friends with Chloe, and although much nicer now, she still says things that really cut deep,” he shrugged, a quiet drifting between them. 

“Hey.” he placed his hand on Adrien’s hand resting on his leg, “You’re responsible, but no pressure because it’s not your life, but if I ever contemplate getting off my pills, please  _ please _ shut that down. It’s exhausting dealing with my thoughts.”

“Alrighty,” he agreed without missing a beat, “Encourage Luka to do drugs. Got it.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” he asked, looking down as he gently removed his hand from under the other’s, replacing it right next to it.

“Is there anything you need to help keep in check?”

He hesitated. It had been quite some time since someone asked him what he needed, “I mean, if you make me cry I will never speak to you again.”

Luka smiled, “That doesn’t seem like the...healthiest way to live.”

He shrugged, allowing a silence to fill in before looking up to the sky, “How’s Sass doing?”

The older one looked at him, taken back by his question, “F...ine?”

Adrien laughed, “Luka, I  _ know _ you’re Viperion.”

Luka nodded, not used to those words together. “Fuck. I guess-- Have you really known this whole time?”

“You love asking questions that I know you know the answer to and want for a reaction. I was  _ there _ . I had the snake miraculous first and I failed wayyyy too many times and then you showed up? I guess we never acknowledged it, but I’ve known this whole time. I thought you remembered,” he shook his head, unsure if he recalled the events from all the years ago, “Also. I know Chat is a huge flirt, but he wouldn’t go around kissing some random punk.”

“Oh, so I’m just some random punk?”

He shrugged, “Well not to me, but to Chat, yeah.”

“Wait, wait wait-- you  _ just  _ said--- and you  _ knew _ \-- blondie come on.” he reached up, cupping his cheek, “If you think I’m pretty just tell me to my face next time,” the blond laughed, moving his hand from his face,“Were you just saying that because you knew?”

“Guess you’ll never know.” he grinned, “Do you really not remember? I was  _ there _ .”

He thought a moment, “Shit, I guess you’re right.”

“I  _ know _ I am. I’m normally not very forgettable, so this is uh… kinda insulting? Please, what  _ do _ you remember from the first time you got your miraculous? I’m intrigued to know what your brain deemed more important than  _ me _ ,” he leaned closer.

He shook his head, “I’m sorry, blondie. In my defense, my antidepressants have a nice little side effect of memory loss, so not entirely on me. I’m not-- no, don’t look at me like that. You’re fine, you didn’t--” he laughed as the other’s face dropped, genuine regret on poking fun at him, “You’re too cute sometimes. But what do I remember? We went down to the sewers to hide from Desperada-- I think my memories of you and Chat have really blurred together,” he laughed, “God it’s kinda like you’re the same person in my head--”

Adrien watched him carefully, safer to stay silent, “Uh huh.”

“So we found that weird locker room, and you told me to hide in one and you were going to another because there wasn’t enough room for both of us.” he shook his head, “There was plenty of room.  _ I  _ wouldn’t mind being crammed in a locker with you now.” he eyed him, causing the blond to laugh.

“God, calm down, loverboy. You’re too much when you’re high.”

“I’ll say it sober too,” he joked as Adrien rolled his eyes, “But uhhhh I was waiting, then Chat and Ladybug showed up and  _ you _ were gone? Should’ve hid with me. They were looking for you--- oh right, to give you the-- oh. Well, Chat shoved me back into the locker to ‘stay safe’. Should’ve pulled him in there with me, if ya know--”

Adrien rubbed his face, “I regret having you retell this story.”

Luka laughed at his annoyance, “No, it’s really helping, it’s all coming back to me. I got bored waiting and wanted to see if they found you, and you were with Ladybug and you were upset because you couldn’t do it--” he paused as if aware he did have the memory, “And... you said some really nice things about me and convinced Ladybug to give me the miraculous. And you went and hid and Chat showed up and we did it. Defeated Desperada. Go team. That’s about it. Do you remember something else? How did you  _ not  _ meet Chat?”

He shook his head, sighing, “I dunno? But I wasn’t there for most of it. I just remember being a complete failure, so you know, good memories there.”

The older boy smiled softly, “Aw, you’re not a complete failure. I mean, yeah you failed a lot, but no one’s perfect. I think it’s weird you don’t have a miraculous. Everyone wants you to have one, most specifically the snake, and they really don’t hold back on letting me know that,” he sighed, “I dunno. Chat doesn’t know you, which is why he gave me the snake back.” 

“What do you mean? Is that what he said? Because we have definitely interacted before,” Luka stared at him in disbelief, “I think it was after the Desperada attack, but I assume you’ve spoken to him more recently than that.”

“That dumb cat…fuck, of course he would,” he laughed, staring at a point near his feet, “God, fuck. I can never know anything about him, that’s how the game goes. I know you think I’m insane, falling in love with a hero-- stop, don’t be nice,” he said as he shook his head in response, “But blondie, there’s something about him. I’ve never felt this way about anyone, like  _ years _ it’s been, and I just really wanna get over it or something,” Adrien smiled, watching the other before he continued, “So all these years I’ve been writing songs for people I love and care about, but it’s almost like a single song wouldn’t be fitting, he’s the instrument, not the product of creation,” he paused, “You know?”

He really didn’t, but continued to study him. He was rambling a bit, but he was warned that’s how he was in December, but he had no reason to believe these weren’t his real feelings. Was this just getting wildly existential and he wasn’t realizing? Was this lack of sense just from the weed or was he genuinely not making any sense? If he was still this hung up over Chat, there was no way he could let the connection be made _anytime_ soon.

“But the most buckwild part? I spent years thinking he was special, but the more I’ve been hanging with you, the more I started to feel the same thing,” he sighed as the blond watched him, terrified to egg him on with another connecting clue, “So I guess he’s not special, it’s just how my relationship with people is changing. You’re not my muse, I hate that whole idea, it’s more that you-- and mostly Chat really, are my motivation behind my creation, you know? Like he was supposed to be in my life? Are you getting any of this? Sorry, this is really hard for me to explain.”

“Are you thinking like the red string of fate?”

Luka looked at him finally, intrigued by the idea, “What’s that?”

“It’s a Japanese legend, essentially everyone has a red string connecting them-- it’s always artistically portrayed with it tied on their pinkies, and it’s connected to people they’re destined to meet, or have a significant role in their lives. It’s most commonly seen between soul mates, if you like that idea,” the other was still watching him to continue, “But the idea is that they’re gonna meet. ‘Regardless of time and circumstances, the string can tangle or stretch but never break’,” he recited, looking to the other, 

“Huh.”

“You don’t seem to be big on the idea of fate or destiny, but I think the general idea you were going for is still here. Invisible but connected, destined to meet.”

He nodded slowly, studying him carefully before leaning closer to him, resting his head on his shoulder, “No, no, I love that,” he mumbled, looking at his hands, “You ever wonder the shortest your string has gotten?”

Adrien laughed, “No, not something I’ve ever thought about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ml as a show has made me super appreciate forms of irony.   
> especially dramatic irony, that's all that the show is.
> 
> spending a lot of time contemplating how much smut to include in later chapters or if I should just stick with //implied// i dunno. we'll see. time to think about it.
> 
> I also keep working a lot on this fic but like. wayyyyy later parts of the story


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bikes, guitars, and lava lamps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy crisis  
> with love,  
> the author

Mid July -3-

Luka stood on his pedals as he rode down the street, inhaling the afternoon air; it was definitely going to rain soon, and he was thankful to be beating the storm. The case his guitar was in was not waterproof and he wasn’t planning on the bad weather. He turned the corner, passing the park to his left, noticing a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. Smiling, he turned his bike’s course to swing around the outside, waving as he approached the blond head on, “Hey you.”

Stopping in front of him, he finally got his attention, his dumb grin appearing as he lowered his headphones, “Hey Luka. You know, at this rate, I might actually think you’re stalking me.”

“Do I look like I have nothing better to do with my time?” he teased, leaning forward on his handlebars, “Don’t answer that,” he smiled as the other laughed, “Whatcha doing out here?”

“I was hanging with Nino and Chris-- his brother, but they had a family thing so they had to go, and I was just walking around, it kinda cleared out a lot.”

He nodded, looking at the sky, “You know it’s going to rain any minute now?” The blond shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets, “So do you have anything else planned, or do you wanna come hang-- I could finally teach you the first few chords--”

“Yeah, I’d love to,” he said a bit eager before biting his lip, smiling as he looked at his feet, “Sorry if that sounded a bit desperate--”

Luka laughed, reaching forward to nudge his chin up, “You were the one who said not to apologize when you’re not sorry,” he rolled his eyes, amused as he gently pushed his hand off his face. The older boy watched him, forgetting what they were discussing before clearing his throat, pulling back, “Yeah, I’ve gotta beat the rain--”

“Oh, you can go ahead, I know where you live.”

“I--” he laughed, of course he did, “Or, do you want a ride?” he hesitated, “I’ve done this so many times, blondie, you’re in good hands here.”

Adrien laughed, “Yeah, sure.”

He smiled, sitting back on his seat, one foot on his pedal, “Okay, chill. It’s easiest if you sit side-saddle and you can put your feet on here,” he pointed to the bar over the gears, “But be careful. Other than that, hold tight. I used to work delivery, so I’m used to handling precious cargo.”

Sitting as instructed, he snorted, “You’re a lot sometimes.”

Feeling his hands snake around his waist, he smiled, “You ready?” He nodded as he pushed off, it had been a hot second since he’d had someone ride with him, and never Adrien, whose grip around his waist tightened as he picked up speed, “You good back there?” 

“Yeah, just wasn’t really expecting--” he laughed, adjusting his hands, crossed across his stomach. He felt his heart skip, suddenly very aware of every time he inhaled, how the other’s fingers curled into his skin, separated by one thin layer, his body pressed against his back.  _ Fuck. _ He pressed his lips together, trying to calm his thoughts; this wasn’t a new situation with him, so why did it feel like so much more than it was? He recognized the feeling from years ago, but he couldn’t possibly be...no, there was no way.

By the time they made it to the boat, it was beginning to drizzle slightly, “Hey, could you bring this down and I’ll deal with my bike and meet you--” Adrien nodded, taking the case over his shoulder, turning to the stairs, Luka caught himself watching him out of sight before shaking his head, attempting to clear it like an etch-a-sketch. This wasn’t how he normally fell in love.

\---

“So ‘c’ is going to be these three,” he said, strumming a few times, “And ‘a’,” he moved his hand, “And ‘g’. We’ll start with these for now,” he offered him the guitar, “It gets easier once you get the basics, plus you’re really competent with music already, so that’ll help.”

“Okay chill,” he mumbled, propping the guitar on his leg, moving his fingers around the fretboard, pressing down various strings before looking back up, “Can you show me again?”

Luka smiled, watching for a moment before reaching forward to guide his fingers, hesitating slightly, taking the invitation, “‘C’ is going to be these three, If you just-- no, you’re gonna want-- hold on,” he crawled around to sit behind him, “Place your hand like this to move your fingers,” he demonstrated next to his hand as he copied, “Yeah, and then you--” he smiled as he strummed.

“Like that?”

“Yeah, like that,” he adjusted himself to be sitting on his left leg, and his right bent against the blond’s back, leaning over to watch his hands. He was beyond aware of how much of him was touching the other, but Adrien didn’t seem to notice, or mind, at least. He set his right hand on his shoulder, “What are you trying to do?”

Adrien paused before looking at him, “My best?”

He laughed, placing his hand atop his, “For ‘A’ your ring finger will go here,” he nodded, looking back to his hand.

His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, concentrating hard on the new notes. Luka had never seen him so focused on one thing, and he’d even watch him write an essay. He was...adorable? Fuck, what was this? He was so accustomed to falling in love in a moment’s notice, so it wasn’t that, thank god. But he wanted to be so close to this punk? Was that it? “Hey, I’ve been wondering, what do you mean when you say ‘touch starved’?”

The blond smiled, not looking up, “Did you think it was a horny thing?” He laughed when Luka shook his head, “Well it started as a joke when I first started going to school, Alya said it...probably from the internet, I dunno. But humans are very social and touchy creatures and we want physical contact a lot. Not even sexually, just like touching. But the joke was when I first met them it had been like...nearly a year since I had a like, a real hug, and that can super mess someone up, especially when grieving. And so whenever we’d hang out-- mostly Nino but Alya joined in too where it would be a thing that was like ‘oh is someone touching Adrien, you know he needs that’--” he laughed, “I’m pretty okay for the most part, but I rarely turn down any physical contact,” he looked at him, “Just so you know if I was horny I’d just say it.”

Luka laughed, shaking his head, “I couldn’t imagine going that long like that. I’ve always had Jules and mom-- also my friends were always pretty chill on the cuddling front too--”

“You’ve been okay with cuddling and you’ve waited five months into our friendship to tell me?” He shook his head in disbelief, strumming a few times, “Unbelievable. Day  _ two _ that I knew Nino we were--”

“Okay, okay,” he draped his arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer, “You’ve been sprawling across my lap nearly every time we hang out, you can’t imply I’ve been  _ depriving _ you--” Adrien laughed, sticking his tongue out, “You just need to say what you want or you could go forever and no one will ever know.”

He smiled, shaking his head, “You’re right, loverboy.”

The older boy bit his lip, watching him, “I’ve been thinking about the red string of fate idea you brought up last time.”

“Care to share those thoughts?” He continued focusing on his fingers.

“Just a lot of the details--”

“Oh, I don’t really know that much about it. Kagami told me about it in passing,” he shrugged, “I’d recommend just googling it if you’re so interested. Sorry.”

“No, it’s chill,” he paused, watching him, “I do like the idea of soul mates. I believe it’s a completely possible idea, just not a likely one. But with the string, you could, in theory, follow it.”

Adrien’s hands stopped moving before glancing at him, “You do get the string is not a physical thing, right? So the odds of you ‘following the string’ and reaching a conclusive end is just as likely as any other soulmates theory?”

“Do you not believe in soul mates? You like to remind me how big of a sap I am, and you know  _ my _ take on love, so what’s your big idea?”

He thought a moment before looking back to the fretboard, “I dunno. Haven’t really invested much time in thinking about it,” he paused, “I love a lot of people.” Luka smiled softly, wondering what could possibly be happening in his head. So many people loved this punk, and he rarely realized it, so it was only expected that he never put a lot of thought into it. As if realizing he was being so intently watched, he turned his head to look at him, laughing under his breath, “What?”

The older boy watched him carefully. That was a good question. He really didn’t know, but something felt so right being with him, “Do you believe in the idea of soulmates in not exclusively the romantic sense? Like just there are people in your life that were just meant to be there?”

Adrien bit his lip, definitely thinking, staring back at him, “I suppose, yeah, there are some people who are just really easy to be with. Like you meet them and you’re like ‘wow heck’ and it’s kinda weird for a second because it’s never been like that with anyone else. Everything just feels so effortless with them,” he smiled softly before looking back at his hand, “It’s a good dynamic because you get to grow and change together. But it’s rare, I guess,” he laughed, “I think I don’t like the idea of soulmates because it’s almost exclusively romantic and friendship is criminally underrated these days.” 

He nodded, setting his chin on his shoulder with a lot of new ideas to think about. A silence settled between them as Adrien alternated between the new chords, Luka on occasion fixing his hand wordlessly. The blond was  _ such _ an advocate for friendship, and was something he’d made fun of him for being oblivious to love in the past, but if all his friendships were as intimate as theirs was becoming, he completely understood. He noticed the other shiver slightly, not diverting his attention from the instrument. He couldn’t help but smile, pulling back, “You cold, blondie?” 

“Just a little,” he mumbled, not looking up from his hand, “Never big on checking the weather.”

Luka laughed, “Do you want a hoodie? I’ve got plenty and I’m more than willing to share.”

The blond hesitated, considering the offer, “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” He smiled, standing up, “You’re always more than welcome to raid my closet,” he joked, but was absolutely serious in his offer, “I’d like to see you go punk.”

He laughed, looking up to watch him, opening his lowest drawer, “Let’s keep that aesthetic for you. I’ll stick with my cardigans and pastel colors. Ooh I like that one--” he said as his hand passed over a dark maroon, practically purple hoodie.

Pulling it out, he held it up, a dark grey circle logo with ‘first things first, you get what you deserve’ around the outside, the band logo in the center, “I knew you had good taste,” he turned back to close the drawer.

“Well yeah, why else would I hang out with you?” He smiled, setting the guitar to the side as Luka tossed him the jacket.

“You’re funny,” he smiled, fumbling with the clothing before pulling it on. Luka knew it was a little big on him, so it was definitely going to be a bit big on the blond. He pressed his lips together as he brought the hood down, revealing his messy hair before running his hand through it. Definitely staring, he couldn’t bring himself to look away; there was something so appealing he never noticed about him. Of course, from the beginning he was comfortable enough to say that he was attractive; everyone could see that. But it was a certain level of intimacy they’d reached, emotional vulnerability, if anything, that made him so much more captivating, “How do I look?” He joked, opening his arms, the sleeves still partly over his hands.

He laughed, sitting back down across from him, “If I dare say,  _ like a model _ \--” Adrien pouted, “I kid-- you look great. It’s my favorite hoodie, so treat it well.”

“I will,” he smiled, picking the guitar back up, “How are you not cold? You’ve got short sleeves and everything. Are you trying to act tough?”

“For who?  _ You _ ?”

Adrien made a face, “Who else is here?”

Luka shook his head as he bit back a smile, “Yeah, that’s it. Acting all tough just to impress you,” he joked, propping his elbow on his knee, as he leaned forward.

“You don’t need to do things to impress me,” he adjusted his fingers, strumming a few times, “I already really like you how you are.”

\---

“No, do the--” Adrien reached forward, nudging his hand on the fretboard, causing Luka to look at him, not moving his hand. After an hour, he’d eventually gotten bored playing the chords he was taught, suggesting they move to songwriting, a much more interactive pastime for the both of them, “The other one to do--” he sang the little bit he played, dropping the note before laughing, “You know?”

He smiled, “I think so,” he strummed the chords again, playing the following notes, changing the last one by sliding his hand down, “Like that?”

The blond nodded, still watching his hands mindlessly moving on the board, “Because the contrast between--” he stopped mid-thought when they heard the back door open, looking behind him.

“Juleka and Rose are both here, they’ve been upstairs this whole time. They were talking about baking this morning, it’s good weather for it,” he explained as Adrien pushed back away from him, laying back so his head hung off the edge of the bed attempting to look into the other room.

The older boy watched him, setting down his guitar, “Hey Rose,” Adrien said as she approached, leaning against the doorframe.

“Oh hey Adrien. You’re here a lot lately.”

He shrugged, “Yeah, I like it here.”

Luka found himself staring at him, biting his lip before finally glancing at Rose, who definitely noticed, but chose to not comment, “I do too. What are you two up to?”  
“He was teaching me some chords and working on one of his songs. I heard you two were baking?” he said, causing her to laugh as the back door opened again, drawing her attention.

“Indeed we were. We’re gonna watch a movie,” she turned back into the other room as Luka pushed himself to crawl over to Adrien, laying down next to him with a flop, smiling when he turned his head to look at him.

“What movie?” The blond asked, smiling at him before looking to the girls.

“ _ Hear No, See No _ ,” Juleka answered, collapsing on the couch as Rose sat next to her, “Probably too scary for you,” she teased at her brother.

Adrien pushed himself up, rolling to his stomach, eliminating the small space between them, making Luka very aware of exactly where they were touching, “Oh that’s a good one. Do you not like horror movies?” he nudged his shoulder.

He  _ hated  _ them, “No, I don’t really mind them--” he glanced at his sister, who snorted, covering her mouth, “But it’s really clear these two were having a date night of some kind and it would be rude to third-wheel--”

“Okay, how is them hanging out different than us--”

“It’s not as great as we’d expect,” Juleka remarked, deadpan as Rose laughed, “Okay, but honestly, Adrien is more than okay with third-wheeling, and besides, you are two people, so by that logic--”

Luka watched his sister as she smirked.  _ Fuck _ . Of course she knew, he really couldn’t keep  _ anything _ from her, “Besides,” Rose said, standing up to turn off the lights, “We were going to invite you to third wheel alone.”

He propped his head on his hand, “Do you want to, blondie?”

Adrien turned his head to look at him, only inches away as the lights turned off, causing him to look up, “I mean, it’s a good movie, and we wouldn’t be able to keep playing anyway, so…” he leaned closer, raising his eyebrows, “As long as you want to, I think it would be great fun, and besides, if you get scared I can always hold you,” he joked, pushing himself to sit up.

Thankful of the darkness, Luka felt his face darken. How could he say no to that?

\---

“I should probably take this--” Adrien said, looking at his vibrating phone as he pulled the blanket back off himself, standing up.

“Do you want us to pause it for you?” Rose offered.

He shook his head, walking towards the back door to take it outside, “Nah, I’ve seen it multiple times. But makes sure he pays attention,” he smiled, eyes lingering on him before looking back to his phone as Luka watched him, captivated, until he was out of sight.

Turning back to the screen, he felt one of girls kick him hard, “Fuck,  _ what _ ?”

Juleka leaned closer, “That’s what  _ I  _ was going to ask you.”

“ _ What _ .”

Rose looked between the siblings, clearly confused, “Yeah, what?”

She watched him in disbelief, “Don’t you think you can keep this shit from me. I know you better than anyone, and I know you  _ rarely _ watch people leave a room like that.”

Luka pressed his lips together, folding his arms, “You’re losing it, Jules.”

His sister shook her head, looking at Rose, “Watch him. I felt like I was time warped to when he was with Mari,” she glanced back to him, “Weird for you to be denying so harshly, you’re always one to love love. Then again--”

“Please, I’m trying to watch this.”

The blonde leaned forward, “You hate horror movies.”

“Yeah, but he  _ loves _ Adrien~” she teased, reaching over to shove him. He felt his face burn but hoped it was too dark for them to notice, “Shame you have to get in line behind like, half of Paris, and oh yeah, your ex.” 

Rose nodded, “Okay but in his defense, he is  _ here _ . That’s more than anyone else could say,” she smiled, “I think it’s cute. You were always too confident around the other people you were in love with, this makes you seem more normal.”

Luka sighed, pulling his feet under him, not watching the screen, “Rose, you being on my side is not helping,” her mouth opened in offense, “I’m not in love with him, but I don’t know what’s going on. You  _ cannot _ tell him. He’s my best friend right now, and he’s probably sick of his friends falling in love with him.”

“Imagine that being the biggest inconvenience in life.” Juleka said as her girlfriend laughed, “No, nah, I ain’t saying shit, that’s your own demon to house. I’m just gonna tease forever. Up until your wedding day.”

“Shut up,” he laughed, “ _ Madame Stone _ .”

She stared at him for a full minute before shaking her head, “Know what? Nope, Juleka is done playing the nice sister-- hey  _ Adrien _ \-- boy, do we have some news for ya--”

“Stop it--” he snapped, cutting her off as she laughed, “You wouldn’t  _ dare--” _

Juleka shrugged, “Are you willing to find out?” Considering the potential implications of her potential actions, he shook his head, taking the pillow between them and hitting her with it, “Oh,  _ this _ is how we’re gonna play this-- you’ve  _ never  _ won this way--” she pushed herself away from her girlfriend, who scooted closer to the armrest of the couch to watch the siblings fight it out.

“There’s always a first for everything--”

Snorting, she covered her mouth with one hand, grabbing the pillow mid-swing, “Okay, you can’t handle this kind of thing-- do we remember the  _ lava lamp _ situation?”

He rolled his eyes, trying to pull the pillow back, “Shut  _ up _ about the lava lamp, that was like  _ years _ ago-- it’s losing its effect--  _ I get it _ , I cry easily and you’re heartless--”

She shoved him back harder than before, “That’s  _ hardly _ the point of the story and you know it-- also I’ve told you to  _ not _ call me that--” she gained control, hitting him repeatedly as he held his arm up in self defense, “Stop being such a  _ butt-- _ ”

“Was gonna say hope I didn’t miss anything, but it really seems like I did,” Adrien’s voice said from the end of the couch, mostly directed to Rose, watching the siblings.

The other blond shook her head, “Welcome to the Couffaines I suppose. You’ll get used to it. They haven’t really hurt each other yet so I think they’re fine. All my siblings are significantly older than me, so I never got this,” she paused as Juleka hit her brother one last time with the pillow, “But you don’t have  _ any  _ siblings, huh. That’s kinda weird, you know.”

Juleka smirked as she pushed herself back towards her girlfriend, “Sorry you had to witness that. You do know he’s a dumb butt who breaks lava lamps and tries to hide it, but the second he’s asked he breaks down crying?”

“I was  _ seven _ \--”

“Well I was five, and I wasn’t crying, and it was  _ my  _ lava lamp.”

“Not to pick sides, but seeing as he’s been akumatized three separate times into three separate villains--”

“Okay who’s side are you even  _ on _ .”

“--it’s just not that surprising,” Adrien joked, sitting down between the siblings, “I just said I’m  _ not _ picking sides,” he said quieter, turning to look at him.

Juleka laughed, “You’re right, at least when I got akumatized a lot of times it was always the same premise. You’re just so angry about so many things. Just so,” she paused, glancing at the blond, making sure he saw her, “Passionate about those things.”

“I think it’s kinda cute,” he shrugged.

Luka did not look at his sister. No fucking way. He knew she was watching for a reaction, and he did not want to give her the gratification of one, “You need to go soon?”

He shook his head, moving the pillow from behind him to sit back all the way, “No, I--” he glanced at the girls, who looked away as he did, making him more self conscious, leaning closer to whisper, “No, Nathalie wanted me to know the shoot’s pushed back an hour, and I can stay to finish the movie. But they don’t know how much we’ve got left,” he smirked, handing him the pillow as he settled in next to him.

“That’s great,” he smiled as he popped the hood, pulling his knees up, the blanket atop both of them again. Unsure with what to do, he set the pillow on his lap, mostly out of comfort for the blond, but definitely a little out of caution. He moved his arm between them to drape over the other’s shoulder, seeing him smile as he scooted the small bit closer, his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Hey, I’m gonna back it up a bit. Sir Lava Lamp over here made us miss some of it,” Juleka practically announced, drawing his attention back to her, timing it so it was very clear she was watching them as he shook his head. There was really no way out of this now.

\---

“Is he asleep?”

Luka looked at the blond on his lap, his one arm outstretched and his other folded under, his face nuzzled in his elbow crook, most definitely unconscious, “Yes,” he said, continuing to gently run his fingers through his blond hair as the credits rolled on the screen.

The girls exchanged a look, “You gonna wake him, or just let him continue dreaming on your lap?” Juleka teased as Rose stood up, offering her hand, “Guess that’s just one way to handle it. Didn’t realize my brother was such a  _ coward _ .”

“Shut up,” he shook his head, watching him, “He just looks so peaceful--”

“Haven’t you learned to not fall in love with straight boys?” His sister shrugged, taking her hand to stand as he rolled his eyes, “Be careful bro.”

Rose tugged on her girlfriend’s hand, “Come on, leave them alone. We’ve got the rest of summer to make fun of them--” giving in easily, she laughed, draping her arm over her shoulder to kiss her cheek before exiting out the back door.

Watching them leave, he looked back to the boy in his lap, “Hey, blondie,” he said softly, continuing to run his hand through his hair, “Adrien--”

“Hmm.”

He couldn’t help but smile as the other started to stir awake, “Hey good morning--”

The blond groaned as he pushed himself to his elbow, taking in where he was before looking at him. Luka felt his heart skip as the other sleepily blinked, his green eyes just as intense as ever, “God, I didn’t realize I was so tired,” he mumbled, rubbing his face, “I’m so sorry--”

“You were really out, huh,” he joked as he pushed himself off to be sitting next to him again, shaking his head, “You’re so fine, the movie just ended.”

“Sorry,” he grabbed his phone to check the time, yawning as he ran his other hand through his hair, “Didn’t think I was gonna actually fall asleep--” Luka watched his screen illuminate, many notifications from various social media platforms as usual, all of which he ignored, locking it to look back to him, “I should probably head out. Did you like the movie?”

He genuinely could not remember most of it, attempting to sort through his thoughts and emotions, distracted every time the blond would shift positions, slowly sprawling out over him, “Yeah, it was okay. Do you want me to walk you out? Or all the way home?”

Adrien smiled, shaking his head, “Oh no, it’s chill. I also definitely told them I was at Nino’s-- he’s one of my approved friends--” Luka nodded, it made sense, based on their few interactions and what Adrien had told him, his dad definitely would not approve of him, “So I gotta get over there to be picked up. Sometimes sneaking out after curfew is just easier,” he pulled the blanket off himself, bunching it back on the other, smiling, “You can just stay put, I think I can find my own way out of here.”

“Sure you can handle it?” 

The blond laughed, pushing himself to stand up, “Uh, yeah, I sure hope so.” 

“Well don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help--”

“Oh hey wait--” he said, remembering what he was wearing, beginning to pull the hoodie off, “This isn’t mine--”

“Don’t worry about it, blondie. It’s probably still chilly outside, and it’s a good way to ensure you’ll come back,” he teased as the other laughed.

He watched him a moment, popping the hood back up, “Can’t argue that. I guess I’ll be back, eventually, I suppose. But hm… I gotta go, sorry for sleeping on you?”

“You’re really fine--”

Adrien glanced at his phone, “Okay, super need to go-- catch you on the flip side?”

Luka smiled as the other offered his finger guns, disappearing through his bedroom door, “Bye, you nerd,” he sighed, settling back into the couch as he heard the other’s footsteps up the stairs. So now what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just. have a lot of thoughts.
> 
> me @ me: this isn't a slowburn  
> also me @ me: it's at 70k and one person finally realized there might be some kind of emotion what the hell do you mean it's not a slowburn
> 
> also holy heck thank you if you've ever left a comment I appreciate you so much >///<


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fruit, flowers, and first dates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> but also time is a construct so really it's just another day you know?
> 
> this chapter idea deadass came to me in a dream and i wrote it half crying.   
> and it's my longest chapter so far so hmm.  
> thank you.

Mid/Late July -3-

“Luka, Luka, Luka--” the blond said enthusiastically, practically prancing down the stairs. It was still quite early, so he wasn’t surprised Luka wasn’t on the deck, heading immediately to the lower level, where he also found to be empty, “Hm,” he hesitated, looking to his phone. He’d never just  _ not _ been there, making him curious as to his whereabouts.

The phone rang twice before Luka answered, confused, “Hey? What’s up?”

“Heyo, quick question, where are you?”

The other hesitated, “I’m at home, why?”

“No, but  _ where _ ?”

“In...the kitchen. Are you here?”

“Oh, okay, nevermind--” he hung up as he walked back up the stairs to join him. The siblings were sitting at the table, both clearly straight out of bed. Juleka was wearing sweats and an oversized dark blue tee, her hair pulled into a messy bun atop her head, her purple bangs still hanging over her face. At school, Juleka was more open than when he’d first met her back in collegé, but still significantly more reserved than how she acted in the safety of her home. She snorted as he opened the door, “Good morning.”

He noticed Luka kick his sister’s foot before pulling back onto the chair, “What’s up?”

He was wearing a dark grey hoodie with the hood up, covering his tousled morning hair, resting his face in his hand, leaning against the table. The black and green boxer shorts he was wearing were riding up slightly, giving him a glimpse of his tattoo on his thigh. The blond grasped his hands behind his back, shrugging, “Nothing much. Just wanted to see what was up-- sorry, I’m not normally here this early, so if you’re busy I can--”

“Hey, no, it’s chill. Clearly we were up,” he said, gesturing to his sister, who nodded, “During the summer we-- well  _ I _ , sometimes Jules joins me-- we go to the farmer’s market on Tuesdays, so we were just getting ready to go to that, if you want to come with--”

“Or, hey, you two can just go. I’m still tired and would not mind crawling back into bed because I actually have work later,” Juleka cut in, her turn to kick her brother, who rolled his eyes at her, “I’m for real, you’re the one with the list, and plus I might actually touch up my hair,” she twisted her fingers through her bangs, “You two should go have fun. Be domestic together.”

Adrien looked between the two of them, definitely having some kind of unspoken conversation before Luka sighed, standing up, “Alright, I get it.” 

Juleka smiled, picking up her cup of tea to take a sip, “I love you~”

Shaking his head, he looked at Adrien, who was watching their whole interaction, “I’m gonna get dressed real quick-- you sure Jules?” he asked as she shook her head, “Whatever. So I’ll meet you on the deck? Five minutes?”

\---

“Good good?” Adrien asked as Luka came up from the lower level, awkwardly one-handedly pulling his arm through a dark flannel. He was wearing a black shirt with some writing on the pocket he couldn’t read, his torn black pants, complete with his colorful high tops. It was early enough that the air still felt damp from the night time.

He nodded, attempting to fix his collar with his one hand, the other holding several cloth bags, “All good. Hey why--”

“Here, hang on--” he stepped towards him, reaching out to fix his collar for him, causing the other to stop mid-thought, watching him in their close proximity, “You were struggling. Why what?”

Luka hesitated before smiling at him, “Thanks,” he quickly looked away as he turned off the boat, the blond following close behind, “Curious as to what’s changed in your life so that you’re available on a Tuesday morning.”

“Well normally I’m with Nino, because he works afternoons at the coffee shop-- off living my AU dream-- but his family thing from last week turned out to be bigger than anticipated. He’s out of the country for a while,” he shrugged, “I only have Mandarin later this afternoon, which I typically come after that-- but I decided to bug you, early edition.”

“You’ve got everyone fit to your schedule, huh?” He laughed, looking at him, “Should I consider myself lucky for making the cut?”

He laughed, shaking his head, “I suppose so, not a lot of people did-- they’re all busy with their own lives, you know? Like, Mari didn’t, but she’s at my house more often than I am these days,” he paused, regretting bringing her up, “Oh, sorry, you probably don’t-- she’s just got an internship with my father so she’s doing a lot of paperwork and behind the scenes stuff right now--”

“That’s cool,” he looked at the older boy, who seemed like he genuinely meant it, “I’m happy for her. She’s really talented and it’s honestly about time she got some recognition for it,” he glanced back at him, “Is it weird that she’s just around? Your house is notorious for being devoid of well, anything.”

Adrien laughed, nudging into him playfully, “You were the one to say it was devoid of love--” Luka opened his mouth to defend his previous statement, “It’s fine, I’m working on it, okay? And also, I did have a party once before--”

“I recall. I was there-- wait, did  _ you _ forget about  _ me _ ?”

“No, I  _ remember _ ,” he rolled his eyes, amused, “Doubt that’ll get by ever again. I’ve been given a little bit more freedom--”

“That’s a real stretch.”

“You’re not  _ wrong _ ,” he laughed as the other smiled, entertained by his reaction. Adrien was always in such a good mood with him. Things felt easy and right and simple, “I forgot your sweatshirt again.”

Luka laughed at the abrupt announcement, “It’s chill, blondie, I know you’re treating it well, and well, guess it means you’ve gotta come see me again--”

The blond rolled his eyes, “You always say something like that-- Luka, I’m gonna keep seeing you because  _ I like you _ ,” he exhaled a laugh, clearly not believing him, “It’s been what,  _ six months _ ? At what point are you going to be chill with, ‘oh yeah, he’s gonna be back’? Also, you know where I live--”

“I’ve never been let in when I’ve tried.”

He nearly stopped walking, watching him to see how serious he was, grabbing his attention after a minute, “ _ What _ .”

“Given, it was back in April when you vanished for a while, and then again in June,” he shrugged, nonchalant, “I wanted to see you and they just told me you weren’t there and told me to leave, so I did. Ended up messaging you so it worked out, but I  _ have _ made the effort, blondie.” 

“I’m barely let into my own house, so that’s honestly not surprising,” he shook his head, sighing, “So, sorry, I guess I can't just say you know where to find me. The odds I’m ever home are ridiculously low anyway,” he paused, unsure what else to say as Luka glanced at him, biting back a smile, “So, got any big plans this week?”

The older boy shook his head, “Nothing more than--” he paused, clearly remembering something, and debating as to tell him or not, “I think I have a date.”

_ Oh _ ? “And I had to pry that out of you-- why was this not the hot topic to begin with?” he teased, leaning closer as the other folded his arms, shrugging.

“It’s not a big deal, first of all, and also, took you like two weeks to tell me about your father’s whole arrangement, so me waiting twenty minutes to bring it up is hardly comparable. Also also, I hardly know them--”

Adrien smiled, watching as his face darkened slightly, “I’ll have it be known that I don’t believe you--” Luka sighed, “But this didn’t happen twenty minutes ago, did it?”

He clicked his tongue repeatedly, looking out over the river, “It’s not a thing, so let’s not make it one. It’s on Thursday, since I know you’re with Chloe those days, and I was only going to say something if let’s say a  _ second _ date came from it. But I dunno how likely that is to happen,” he glanced at him before pulling his list from his pocket as they approached a gathering of tents and carts in two neat rows, “It wasn’t a secret--”

“I’m just teasing you, let me know how it goes though,” Adrien studied him, trying to figure out which part of their conversation upset him. It was  _ his _ date they were talking about, and he really seemed like the type of person who looked forward to those types of things, “It just seemed like you’re full of secrets this week.”

The older boy glanced at him, shaking his head as he approached the first tent with a small sign reading  _ Fruit de la Famille _ , an older woman with greying hair pulled back into a tight bun stood up from her seat as they approached. A girl collége aged had her back to them, organizing something on the back table, “ _ Bonjour, Madame _ .” 

“Oh hello Luka,” the woman smiled, “And Luka’s friend--”

The girl finally turned, noticing the blond, nudging her arm, “ _ Mamé _ , that’s Adrien Agreste-- like from all the billboards--” 

Used to this type of thing, he smiled politely as the woman leaned closer, as if inspecting him, “Oh. Are you sure? You’re the Agreste?” Boy, he did not like the way that was worded. 

“I am indeed one of them,” he nodded, noticing Luka, who was pretending to look at the fruits, watching him from the corner of his eye, “It’s not a thing-- just call me Luka’s friend--”

“My granddaughter absolutely  _ adores _ you--” the girl turned dark at the mention, “Claims it’s a fashion thing, but funnily enough just your fashion, it seems,” she teased as she shook her head, “Sorry, she’s not going to ask, you’re clearly just trying to enjoy your morning, but is it possible to get an autograph, or a picture--”

Adrien smiled, “Yeah, absolutely, I really don’t mind--”

“Oh, a hug from this punk is absolutely worth it,” Luka chimed in, “Sorry, I don’t mean to be offering your body up like that--” 

“So considerate,” he said sarcastically, turning back to the ladies, “I would just be waiting for him to finish, so honestly whatever you want,” the older boy raised his eyebrows, mumbling something he couldn’t make out, “I’m sorry,  _ what _ was that?” He teased, leaning closer.

He shook his head, biting his lip,“Nothing.”

Hesitating slightly, he redirected his attention to the girl, who’d produced a magazine, open to one of his more recent shoots and a pen. He smiled, asking for her name as he signed it, handing it back as she walked around to get the hug Luka had offered up. She was nearly shaking, definitely not expecting to meet him on an early Tuesday morning. He never understood why people got nervous around him, he was less of a deal than the average person, even if they didn’t realize it. Just because he was on a few billboards didn’t make him somehow  _ better _ than the average Parisian. 

“Luka, if you’ve been friends with him this whole time, why haven’t you brought him around before?” the girl asked, looking up from her phone at the various selfies they took.

He put his hands up, shrugging, “He’s very busy, and he barely can make time for me--”

Adrien elbowed him, shaking his head, “I’ll let you know you take up the most time on my schedule, even if you’re just penciled in at the last minute,” the other smiled, nearly surprised by this fact, “Mornings are rarely available for me, but I’m glad I came today.” 

He watched Luka’s hands pick up a few apricots as he elbowed him playfully back, “I’m glad you came too.”

\---

“I honestly haven’t just hung out in public like this in a long time. I wasn't allowed to, and then I didn’t want to, and most of the time I just don’t have a reason to.”

“Yeah?” he laughed, looking down at his list. They’d gone to a few other carts, Luka would talk to each of the merchants like old friends while the other mostly observed their interactions, “Well good news, we’re practically done. This one might be a minute, Viho really enjoys catching up-- oh, and he got mushrooms, fuck yeah,” he looked at the blond, “You seem like the type of person who doesn’t like mushrooms.”

Adrien laughed, shaking his head, “What does  _ that _ mean? I like mushrooms just fine,” he really did not like most mushrooms, and did not know why he felt the need to lie like that.

Luka clicked his tongue, “Yeah okay--” he teased, walking up to the cart, “ _ Dobré ráno-” _

The older man had his back to them, turning when he heard his voice, “Ah,  _ dobré ráno, Lukáš-- ted’je houbová sezóna--” _

“ _ Ano, ano, vidím _ \--” the older boy took a step closer to look at them. Adrien didn’t expect to hear a language that seemed familiar, but not quite recognizable, possibly slavic? He’d ask. The blond watched the two interact for a minute, Luka’s concentration split between the fungi, and the language he clearly wasn’t entirely fluent in, occasionally pausing and throwing in a word or two in English. Shifting his gaze between his hands, choosing an assortment, and his face, complete with a slight frown, caused Adrien to bite back a smile at his intent focus. Breaking from his trace, the man finally took notice of him and asked a question that he didn’t fully hear, but definitely didn’t understand, causing Luka to laugh nervously, jumping in, “ _ Ne, ne, ještě ne-- doufám... _ ”

Adrien smiled at the other, his face visibly darker as he looked back to Viho. Only being able to guess what it was about, he took a step back to give them space, looking around. He noticed a cart a few sections over, showcasing dozens of potted and cut flowers, a sign overhead reading ‘ _ Fleurs de Mauve _ ’ with a middle-aged woman waving at a couple leaving with a small bouquet. Adrien glanced at Luka, who was still deeply invested with talking to the man, about the various mushrooms before slipping away. 

“Hello,” he smiled, approaching the cart. Flowers were always a good idea.

“Oh hello indeed, what is a handsome young man like you doing shopping for flowers on such a morning?” The woman, he assumed was Mauve, based on her embroidered apron, smiled warmly, “For a mother? A lover perhaps?”

Hm, well, he had neither of those, so he shrugged, “A friend, actually. As a birthday gift and also a first date-- not  _ with _ him--” he paused, knowing rambling wasn’t going to get him anywhere, “I think I’m going to look before asking questions--”

“Absolutely dear, take your time, and let me know if you have questions. Flowers are always a gift from the heart, so it’s hard to go wrong.” Adrien nodded, smiling politely as he approached the side table, full of small potted flowers, some in bloom in bright vibrant yellows and oranges, purples and whites, others not quite there yet. He recognized most of them, dahlias, geraniums, a few variations of roses and several others from his flower language days. Noticing a few blue ones in the back, he made a mental note to get back to them. He shifted to the center one, where the individual and bouquets of flowers were; it was late enough in the day where there was definitely a good chunk missing. A downside of living in the city of love.

“Hey you.”

Adrien smiled, looking up from the flowers to see Luka, standing close to him, observing the plants over his shoulder, “Hey-- are you ready--”

“Yeah,” he nodded, shifting his focus to the blond, “Never took you for a flower person.”  
“Well that’s on you for passing judgement,” he teased, nudging him with his elbow as he laughed, “Flowers are really amazing. A few years back I got into flower language and the messages you could send on flower type and color alone. I used to know a lot more in terms of creating a bouquet and the arrangement, but just flower types are still something I remember.”  
Luka smiled at him, “That’s so fun.”

Watching him for a moment, he turned back to the flowers, “Everyone knows red roses are their own thing, white is generally a symbol of purity-- morning glories are more specifically used as a message of affection. Hyacinths are used as an apology-- to name a few,” he smiled, glancing at the other, who was listening attentively. He really didn’t remember a lot of them, and it wasn’t as though anyone else had the meanings memorized, easily deemed worthless information by his father’s standards. 

“And to think we could’ve been talking flowers this whole time.”

“A new talking point unlocked, I suppose?” The blond laughed as the other smiled, following his gaze down to the various blooms.

Adrien felt the flourist watch him for a moment, biting back a smile as he attempted to decide which ones to get him. Glancing between the two, she focused back on him, “You are such a fitting example for a yellow tulip.”

“That’s a new one,” he looked up, considering the implications. He was typically referred to as a sunflower, but most people didn’t know too many flowers and their symbolisms. He noticed Luka, a little confused, but definitely wanting to understand, “It’s generally cheery thoughts and hope--”

“‘Sunshine in your smile’ is my favorite I’ve heard. That’s what I thought of.”

“I like that. Suits you well,” 

The blond shrugged, “Well, people do still call me sunshine on occasion. It started as a joke from Chloe, but then everyone kinda caught on in a more teasing sense, you know?” The older boy was still watching him, fascinated, “No, but anyway, yellow is still often associated with jealousy, and darker ideas, but most people aren’t giving flowers to be spiteful anymore. Oh, yellow carnations are for disappointment, I remember that one. I think yellow tulips were specific on hopeless love?” he was fairly certain, and Mauve nodded in agreement.

Luka exhaled a laugh, “Hopeless love, huh?”

“I get daisy too, but it’s my birth flower--”

“April?” He nodded, smiling, “Early or late?”

“Early--”

Mauve sighed, “Oh good, pegged ya right.”

Adrien looked to his friend, “I was going to surprise you with flowers but  _ someone _ couldn’t stand me not being next to them for five minutes and ruined the surprise,” he teased, poking his side, “There’s also so many great choices, so it’s kinda on me for taking too long.”

He watched him intently for a moment before biting back a smile, “Alright, alright, I get it blondie. I’ll just be waiting over here. I won’t even think about you, that may be too distracting.”

The blond laughed, watching him walk away, “Marigolds are a personal favorite of mine,” he said eventually, turning to Mauve, “Their messaging is a bit confusing though. It’s also hardly ideal to gift someone  _ your _ favorite flower,” she laughed as he shifted to the potted plants, “I’m definitely getting this blue larkspur, white has been so much more common around here, but it’s not quite the message I want.”

“So are you two  _ not _ on red rose territory yet?”

He felt himself hesitate. What did  _ that _ mean? Declaration of love?  _ For Luka _ ? “Oh. No? But this one isn’t for him-- he’s got a date in a few days, and I know he’s not going to bother with flowers, so I might as well for him,” he smiled, inspecting the various choices, trying to remember more of their meanings, “Red roses seem a bit much for a first date, you know?”

“Oh, I am so sorry for misreading that-- it just seemed with the way you two--” she paused, embarrassed she interpreted their interaction in such a way, but reassured he was unfazed, “Unfortunately, I’m out of marigolds anyway-- maybe if you went with--” she continued with a few more options, attempting to push on from her observation. 

Adrien liked roses fine, all the colors were so well known and understood, but he didn’t really like the idea of Luka giving someone else roses, it didn’t really suit him. He was such a romantic most of the time, but he clearly wasn’t feeling up to whatever he signed up for, making him think a more laid-back flower would be more fitting. Half listening to Mauve, he glanced over to the other, leaning against the wall, his bags by his feet, one crossed over the other, invested in something in the opposite direction. His flannel was now tied around his waist, his shirt sleeves were rolled higher than he anticipated, emphasizing on his arms, folded over his chest, his flower tattoo peaking out his collar. Feeling spontaneously flustered, he looked back to the flowers, nodding in agreement to whatever was just said. 

Roses were overrated anyway.

\---

“Hey, hhhhappy birthday~” he half sang playfully as he took a few steps closer to the other, who smiled when he turned, standing up. Adrien presented the small potted plant, “It’s a blue larkspur. It’s really so perfect-- I noticed you guys have little plants alive so you could probably handle one more-- plus the color is so perfect for you, aesthetically  _ plus  _ a larkspur means-- they’re also the July birth flower-- oh and also I got a single sunflower--” he looked up from the plants to the older boy, who was definitely staring at him, biting his lip to hide a smile, “I know your birthday isn’t until Friday, I just got excited--”

Luka exhaled a laugh, standing up to carefully wrap his arms around the other’s neck, cautious of both the flowers in his hands, “Thank you, you’re so sweet,” he paused as Adrien attempted to half hug him back, “Of all the facts I’ve learned about you, being quite fluent in  _ flower _ is by far the most unexpected,” he pulled back to smile, “You’re really something else, blondie.”

Offering one of his grins, he shrugged, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It started with roses, being a declaration for his love for Ladybug, but when their relationship shifted, he started to look to other ones. But even beyond that, he took interest in the idea; it was fascinating, being able to say so much with just a single bloom. Flowers were so fun with so much potential, plus they were beautiful, the best of it all, “Flowers are cool,” he paused, holding up the single flower, “I got this to give to your date, it should be in full bloom on Thursday if you put it in some water until then.”

He watched him for a moment before stepping back to pick up his bags, “Oh yeah, thanks.”

“Seems like the type of thing you’d forget, and you want to make a nice first impression, trust me, I know a thing or two about first dates,” he joked, as they started to walk, “But a larkspur is the July birth flower, and blue flowers are typically a symbol of support and trust, which are also key in larkspurs meaning. I’m basically saying I really appreciate you. Plus I think it suits your aesthetic and they’re just pretty flowers,” he shrugged, watching the other for a reaction.

Exhaling a laugh, “That’s a lot of thought,” he looked at him, “I genuinely don’t think I’ve gotten such a thought-out gift in a long time. I love it and I really appreciate you too,” Adrien could’ve sworn his face darkened as he opened his mouth to say something else, choosing to keep quiet, nudging him playfully as he looked forward again, “Thank you.”

Adrien smiled, content knowing he appreciated the gift, “Oh, hey, I didn’t know you spoke a Slavic language--” 

“Yeah-- it’s Czech-- I have family over there-- we’ve mentioned this before, yeah? I just picked up a few things. Viho really enjoys that I make an effort, and I always get a good deal on potatoes and mushrooms when they’re in season,” he shrugged, wanting to downplay it, “Also you speak Chinese so--”

“Fine, fine,” he laughed, adjusting the pot in his hand, “We’re both so unimpressive, I get it,” the other shook his head, amused. Adrien glanced down at the flowers before looking out over the river, as a silence settled between them. Everything felt calm and like home when he was with him; he knew Luka wouldn’t judge him rambling over flowers, rather just respond with one of his soft, understanding smiles he loved to see. He watched the people walking along the other bank on the other side for a minute before catching a glimpse of the other watching him, “ _ What _ ?” He laughed, nudging him with his shoulder.

“What?” Luka responded jokingly, looking at him.

“Don’t you ‘what’ me, everytime I look at you, you’re already looking at me, so what is it? Something on your mind, loverboy?” he leaned closer tauntingly as the other laughed.

“Okay, alright, imagine two people hanging out and one of them being offended the other is  _ looking _ at them. Should I  _ not _ be looking at you? It’s not  _ my _ fault you’re pretty…” he mumbled as the other snorted, shaking his head, “I’m serious, blondie,” Luka said unconvincingly, attempting to bite back laughter.

Adrien rolled his eyes as they approached the houseboat, “It really took other people saying something for you to notice the obvious.” 

“Wow, someone is a bit cocky, huh?” He laughed as the blond continued watching him, still waiting for his explanation, “Trust me, I’ve noticed before today.”

He’d been called attractive in many senses of the word, but it felt  _ different _ coming from the other, in the best way possible, “It would be embarrassing if you hadn’t.” 

Luka laughed as they walked on the boat, shaking his head, “God sometimes I forget you think you’re such a hot shit, but just, on the down low,” Adrien smirked, shrugging innocently, “Remind me to never compliment you again.”

“Oh you don’t mean that,” he teased, following the other down the hallway, slipping off their shoes before entering the kitchen, “You’ll likely change your mind.” Adrien sat down on the chair Luka was sitting in earlier in the morning, tucking his feet under as he set the flowers on the table.

He laughed, turning to the counter to begin putting away the food, “How about you let me be the judge of that.”

“Was that the sound of my brother laughing?” Juleka asked, walking through the door to the kitchen, her hair darker and damp, “It’s just been so long, so many years--” she teased, leaning against the counter next to him as he rolled his eyes, “This loser--”

“Okay, I think he gets it--”

Juleka threw her hands up, “I think sunshine likes knowing when he makes people happy,” Adrien shrugged before nodding, he really did, “What’s up with the flower?”

“Luka has a date later.”

Intrigued, she turned to look at him, “Really now? And with whom?”

He shook his head, not giving into her taunting, “You don’t know them. It doesn’t matter,” she leaned closer, causing him to look up, “No, shut up.”

“Well. I’m not going to speculate, just wanted to see if you managed to get mushrooms and if they’re even good--” he rolled his eyes, “Also are you gonna cook something for this approximate lunchtime before I have to go to work or are you not eating again and I should start on it instead?”

Luka pressed his lips together, turning to him, “Hey blondie, you sticking around?” 

“I was planning on it, yes.” 

“You hungry?”

The blond shrugged, used to being told when and what to eat, he never really put much thought into it, “Sure.”

He turned back to his sister, “Yeah, I’ll cook something.”

Juleka stared at him, clearly wanting to say something, fighting against everything in her body to say it. She eventually exhaled, “You domestic bitch.”

Her brother snorted, covering his mouth, “Get out-- fuck-- I’ll get you when it’s ready--” he turned her shoulders, practically shoving her, laughing as she mumbled something else, “Yeah, fine you got me--” 

Adrien laughed, watching the two out the door as they exchanged a few words in a slightly more civil manner, keeping quiet enough so he couldn’t make out what was being said. He picked up the sunflower, carefully taking it from it’s wrapping to look at it closer. Sunflowers were symbols of optimism, faith and loyalty, and one of the few yellow flowers without a historically negative meaning, originally meaning good luck. Twisting it in his fingers, he smiled; it was just the flower Luka needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i spent hOURs reading about flowers for this so hmu if you ever want to know anything  
> also in general it's really cool but there's a lot of contradiction lol.
> 
> for those of you wondering what Luka answered:  
> **Ne, ne, ještě ne-- doufám...   
> \--No, no, not yet-- I hope...
> 
> but what was he asked? hmmmmm
> 
> also if you've ever said anything nice to me,   
> i love you  
> an aster for you.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhetorical questions, confessions, and accidental overnights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w  
> recreational use of marijuana   
> general drug use mention
> 
> I watched Bridgerton in one sitting and am fighting the urge to write a miraculous au of it so that's how my life is going

Late July -3-

Luka’s music was playing in the background, the two falling into a comfortable silence as song after song played. Still Tuesday, Adrien had left for his Chinese lesson, returned, gone back home for curfew, and snuck out to continue hanging with him, but he was not going to complain, thrilled the other enjoyed his company as much as he loved his. He was beyond thankful Juleka left with Rose after work so she wouldn’t continue harassing him about his recently developed feelings for the boy now laying across his lap on his stomach, “Hey.” Luka moved his leg to get his attention, causing him to turn his head, “Wanna get high?”

“The illegal substance,” he fake gasped, pushing himself to sit up, “I’m always down.”

“Arg, there be no rules aboard the Liberty,” he said in a mock pirate voice, “You’ve probably done worse drugs, haven’t you?”

“Hey, uh, what does  _ that  _ mean?”

He stood up, shrugging, “Am I wrong? Hang on,” he asked, walking down to his room, leaving him alone a moment before returning, “It’s always the cute harmless ones who are actually wild drug and sex freaks.”

Adrien shook his head, “Okay so I’ve done cocaine a few times, but like--”

“Shit dude, really? I was like, mostly joking.” he laughed, preparing the bong, “Any other fun ones you’ve tried? Also, you’re like a child, who the fuck is offering you so many drugs?”

“Okay, first, you literally just did. But the model life will get to ya. I’ve turned down most of them, but I think it’s always worth trying everything at least once,” he shrugged, looking up at the partially cloudy night sky, “I’m not a wild sex freak, though, so sorry to disappoint you on that front. Haven’t made it that far.”

“Wait wait wait,” Luka paused to look at him, “You’ve done cocaine  _ twice _ but you’ve never had sex?”

He glanced at him, turning his head ever so slightly, “That is indeed what I said. Also shrooms and ecstasy, but yeah.”

“This is some wild information, blondie. Have you ever kissed anyone, or do you need to learn how to drive first?” he joked, lighting the bowl.

“Haha. Of course I’ve kissed people before, we already had this discussion.” he sat up, taking the bong from him as he exhaled, “You’re the one fixated on this part of me.”

Luka laughed, shaking his head, “Not the only part. You’re just living a backwards life.”

Exhaling, his eyebrows furrowed together, “Sorry I was never presented the opportunity. Also  _ last week _ you asked if I’d ever kissed a boy, next week-- or heck, likely in twenty minutes you’re just gonna ask to make out, point blank,” he leaned in, as if inspecting him, “Are you...attracted to me?”

Caught off guard, he coughed, “What? N-no, of course not.”

Skeptical, Adrien watched him, barely looking away as they passed it a few times, clearly unsure what to say as the music played on. Luka assumed it was  _ mostly _ a joke, definitely admitting more than once he was  _ attractive _ , but the idea he was attracted seemed a bit off the table. The blonde kicked his legs over his lap as the other finished the bowl, “Well I think you’re absolutely captivating.”

Luka laughed, coughing smoke as he shook his head, “Jesus  _ fuck _ \-- blondie, you can’t say hilarious shit when I- ” he kept coughing, tears filling his eyes, “God, now you made me cry, guess I’ll never speak to you again.”

He glanced at him, quite unamused, as he attempted to catch his breath, “Okay but you cried last week when we watched that dumb cat video. I used to cry a good amount, but it’s been almost two years now. It’s weird, I just know whatever makes me crack is gonna be bad, and will make me cry for quite a while to make up for the lost...time.”

“Are you trying to foreshadow your own life?”

“Uh, I sure hope not.”

The older boy shrugged, “That’s the problem with life, huh. The foreshadowing is never truly appreciated.”

Adrien shook his head, looking over the back of the couch to the silhouettes of the buildings, resting his chin in the nook of his elbow. A comfortable silence settled between the two, music still playing softly in the background, Luka watching the other. Since his initial realization and continued taunting from his sister, he accepted there  _ might _ be something attracting him to the blond, but knew it wasn’t realistic to put it into words. He knew the other well enough to know it would go over extremely poorly, and he was honestly sick of his perpetual failure streak of falling in love with the wrong people. Setting his hands on his knee closer to him, he bit his lip, continuing to study him, wishing there was a way to dissect his brain to see what he could possibly be thinking. Adrien eventually noticed him after a minute, “What?” he asked, laughing.

“I’m just  _ looking  _ at you, calm down.”

“Nah, no, not after you spent the whole time staring at me yesterday. You’re looking at me how you usually do before asking a really dumb or obvious question, so shoot. Go ahead. Ask what you were thinking.”

He clicked his tongue, as if thinking if the question was worth venturing into, “Do you think you’re deserving of love?”

“My  _ god,  _ loverboy.”

“No, don’t--” he held up a finger, smiling at his immediate reaction, “Do not come back with a dumb ‘everyone is deserving of love’ tidbit, I get it. You believe that. But do you personally believe  _ you _ are? Or is that why you’re so oblivious to it? You were brought up with love being on a conditional basis so that you don’t think you deserve it. And since you don’t deserve it, you don’t let the idea even enter your head?”

Adrien stared at him, at a loss of words, “Wh-no. That’s not-- I  _ am  _ deserving of love--”

“Okay but how much do you believe that?” 

“I- enough, I guess?”

“If I, right now-- rhetorical speaking, of course, were to confess my undying love for you, unconditional, soul mates, red string, the whole spiel, what would your reaction be?” 

He made a face, “Well, disbelief, but-- Luka, come on.”

“What? Yeah, I suppose my execution could use some work--”

“It’s not just--”

Luka took his face in both his hands, pulling him closer as he bit his lip, trying not to laugh, “Blondie, you’re like the lyrics of my favorite song, hard to forget and always on my mind. The amount of love I have for you makes my heart ache. It’s like I’m trapped inside a waking dream.”

He was shaking with laughter, trying so hard not to, “We’ll stick to pretending--the original problem wasn’t the execution--” he placed his hands atop his, “I mean, the new execution does raise some new problems. Let’s see. I  _ am _ friends with Marinette, so if you ever were to confess your undying love for me, I would politely request  _ not _ using a music hijink, kinda feels fake when you’re just reusing something so cliche--”

“Noted,” he said, deadpan.

“But the thing-- I love you too. You’re, honest, my best friend right now. And I did hear that loverboy playlist, you’ve already got someone on your mind. And they’re lucky,” he laughed as Luka pouted, not removing his hands from his face. He had no expectations, but this was not where he expected it were to go.

“Okay,” he shook his head, “I’m going to respond to you in multiple parts because that’s your favorite thing to do.”

Adrien shrugged, “It’s important to address all parts to be heard and feel truly listened to.” 

Luka closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to keep his cool, “God, fuck, I-- okay. First, I am acknowledging Mari’s suffering she explained to me years ago and I laughed it off. Goddamn, I am so sorry. Second, you are proving my point so hard it’s physically painful--”

“I said ‘I love you’ back!” he defended.

“You dismissed what I said by bringing up the dumb playlist!” he dropped his hands, shaking his head, “I may be a hopeless romantic, but you’re romantically hopeless.”

“Well it’s not something I’ve been putting  _ any _ effort into.”

He blinked, “I’m sorry, how many dates have you been on this summer so far?”

“Nine.”

“Wait-fuck, really? I thought you were at like three.”

Adrien groaned, laying back on the couch, “It’s like two or three a week at this point, it’s ridiculous. I have two in a row this week! They’re just so painful, Luka… Meeting new people, making small talk, finding out they’re a huge jerk or transphobic or homophobic or sometimes there’s just like a bad vibe. So much effort to get all dolled up to be uncomfortable all evening. And then! To talk to my father about how much I hated it while being polite-- I am polite the whole way through, I am a gentleman,” he clarified as if the other doubted it for even a second, “I’d so much rather be here with you doing absolutely nothing.”

Luka smiled, looking at him, “You’re always more than welcome here, blondie. I always love doing absolutely nothing with you.”

He laughed, rubbing his face, “What a duo we are. But hey, why aren’t  _ you  _ going on more dates? Besides, well,  _ June _ , you just stopped so abruptly-- 

“Okay okay okay--” he nudged his knee, getting his attention to stop, “Do not imply anything that happened was anything close to dating-- I was getting shitfaced and hooking up with whoever would look at me--” he laughed as Adrien threw his hands up in a form of apology, “Me dating is drastically more formal and I actually put effort in-- if you ever wanna see how it is--” he teased, settling his hands back on his knee.

Adrien snorted, covering his mouth as the other nodded, unintentionally confirming where he stood on that matter, “Sorry, how  _ dare _ I confuse them-- you weren’t even going to bring flowers, so I don’t trust you on that--” he opened his mouth to defend himself, but chose it wasn’t worth it, rather hear what the other was trying to say, “I’m just saying, if  _ I _ , romantically hopeless, am going on multiple dates a week, I just think you should try a few more. Like, you’ve got the one tomorrow-- you mentioned how you met him at a show-- which wait, why haven’t  _ I  _ ever been invited to see you play?”

“I have absolutely invited you, but you’re always busy on Friday and Saturday nights. I’ll try to get a gig on a Thursday just for you.”

The blond draped his arm over his forehead, staring at the sky, “Or you could just play me a personal show if you ever feel up to it. That would be a fantastic evening; I could listen to you sing and play for hours. I love hearing you perform acoustic," he paused, “Wow that was a lot. Sorry.” 

He watched him, biting back a smile, thankful the other wasn’t looking. That did sound like a fantastic evening. 

“No, but your date. Tell me  _ everything _ . All you’ve said is you met him at a show.” 

“Them. But yeah. They came to a couple and honestly tried to hit on Leon, who is  _ very  _ engaged, and he made a joke about ‘wack you came for the bassist first, our guitarist is hotter anyway.’” He rolled his eyes at repeating his bandmate’s words, “And-- stop laughing, it’s what he said--” he laughed in response to his reaction, shoving his leg gently.

Adrien looked at him, “Dunno what he looks like, but he’s not wrong.”

“Aw, teen model thinks I’m pretty,” he joked back.

“I said hot, but yeah, pretty too.”

Luka smiled, feeling his face flush as he watched him. He didn’t want to think much on it, as the blond had been complimenting him since the day they met, but something had definitely changed in the last few weeks, he  _ loved _ hearing his admiration, “But we talked a good bit and the next gig they asked me out and I was like ‘sure why not’.”

The blond laughed, “You really know how to sweep someone off their feet.”

“Oh, so is that why you’re laying on me?” 

He snorted, shaking his head, “Okay, sure. So what’s your big plan?”

“Don’t actually have one. They asked me out, so they said they’re gonna plan the date. Don’t worry blondie, I’ll let you know how everything goes.”

“Good,” he ran his hands through his hair, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Sure. What movie?”

Adrien sighed, pushing himself to his elbows, “I don’t know. I can’t even think of a movie title right now. Uh... _ The Tre- _ no heck, that’s my...hand me my phone?” he asked, gesturing for it on the table, “I really can’t think of one. Do  _ you  _ have an idea?”

Luka laughed, leaning forward to grab it, “Teen actor and model who starred in a movie can’t name a single one. It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” he joked as the other rolled his eyes, taking his phone from him, “What kinds of movies do you like?”

“I’m really not picky.” 

“Nine dates would prove otherwise.” 

His mouth opened in offense, as Luka watched him, amused, “That’s not--” he looked at his phone, considering to ignore his comment. “How could I possibly be picky when I literally don’t even know what I’m looking for? I’m also not really taking them that seriously, I really just wanted to have an enjoyable summer before real life hits for real. Literally just going on with them so I don’t have to drag someone through a fake half-assed relationship to get them to stop? It’s just my father’s messed up form of punishment and it’s not fair to them, and I  _ literally _ \--”

“Okay, okay, blondie, I was just teasing. I’m sorry,” he shook his head, “You’re right, you can’t really be picky if you don’t know what you’re looking for,” he looked at the blond, who sighed, laying back down; he felt bad for teasing him on such a touchy subject. Luka couldn’t really imagine being forced on so many dates in such a short period of time, spending evening after evening going through the same boring routine; dating should be  _ fun _ . He moved his hand to the inside of his knee for a sense of reassurance, “Hey, let’s find a movie.”

Adrien sighed again, looking at his phone. The two drifted to a silence, both scrolling through to remind themselves of any of the thousands of movies produced, clearly not seeing any worthy of suggestion. A few minutes passed before the older boy didn’t look up, “Have you ever seen  _ Call Me By Your Name _ ?”

“Hey.” Adrien pushed himself up, “Hey,” he dropped his phone, taking his face in his hands, “I literally just called this happening, but if you want to make out, just ask next time. Don’t be a coward.”

Luka stared back at him, unsure of the connection, “Can I take that as a yes?”

“Depends on the question,” he said, dropping his hands, “So do you want to watch it? Have you seen it? I think I have it.”

“Your brain is set to rapid fire, huh,” he observed as he pulled his laptop to his lap, “I haven’t seen it, but clearly you have, and I think it would be more fun to watch one neither of us have seen.”

“How do you really feel about horror movies?”

He shook his head, “No, nah, absolutely not. No spooky stuff for me.”

“ _ What _ .” Adrien looked up, “We just--” Luka watched him attempting to piece together the information he received, “Why’d we watch-- if you didn’t want to--”

“Yeah, but you wanted to watch it.”

The blond pouted, “Yeah, but that’s not a good reason.”

He smiled, finding his genuine reaction to be hilarious, “Okay but I really like you and seeing you happy is enough to make me happy and if that means sitting through a movie I don’t like I’d definitely do it for you in a heartbeat,” he wasn’t sure how much more obvious he could be without saying it flat out.

Sighing, he leaned his head against his shoulder, “Yeah okay,” he mumbled, looking back down at his phone, “Also it would be hard to find one I haven’t seen, so it wouldn’t fit with your idea of watching one neither of us have seen.”

The older boy watched him scroll for a minute, “Hey, do you like being a model?”

Adrien looked at him, surprised by the question, “Y...es.”

“Really? Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I  _ mean _ , it’s okay. I know the last time we talked about this we overanalyzed my life and went down that whole spiral. But honest, I started enjoying it more once I started working with other people. Shoots are okay, they’re not so overwhelming, like walks. I  _ don’t _ really like it, but it’s something I have to do, and riding it out for publicity is the only positive potential from it. I really want to act and I’ve got some more deals opening up.” he shrugged, “Oh, and contractual obligations I was forced to sign as a child,” he waved his hand dismissively.

“Huh. It’s still weird to think.”

He focused back on his screen, “I’ve got some cute model friends if you’re ever interested.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. There was only one model he was interested in, “Thanks? I guess.”

“Sorry, sorry, I forgot you’ve already got a potential love interest, but if that doesn’t work out,” he teased, “It’s better that way, they’re not the most interesting people, but you know,” he didn’t, “Have you seen  _ Dancer in the Dark _ ? I’ve heard it’s good. It’s got Bjork in it.”

“Bjork,” he corrected.

“Bjork,” he repeated the same way, incorrect.

Luka laughed, shaking his head, “Okay. Yeah. Sounds good to me.”

\-----

Luka woke to the sight of the sun, rays hitting his face, lifting his hand shadowing his eyes, he realized not only was he still on the deck, but also that Adrien was asleep on him. Like  _ on _ him. He was half sitting, half leaning against the armrest and pillows, his legs making a ‘4’ with the blond laying, essentially between his legs. His left arm was folded on his stomach, as if used as a pillow, his right half outstretched up his side, fingers curling near his ribs.

He looked so peaceful, face nuzzled into his elbow, clearly not disturbed by his movement, and just so...cat-like the way he would just fall asleep sprawled out on him, as if comforted by his warmth. Guess he was right that he had a thing for cat-like people. Not really remembering what got them into this exact situation, he pushed himself up to sit, hoping it would be enough to wake him. Plus, this was way later than either intended to stay, and with his busy life, he likely had somewhere to be. 

Adrien mumbled something incoherent, adjusting himself to be on his bent leg, which, he realized, was very much asleep from him laying on it. Of course, he didn’t necessarily  _ mind _ his location, never more thankful of his medication’s side effects, “Blondie,” he set his hand on his head, gently running through his hair, “Hey, it’s like 6:30, you probably have to go.”

“Hmmn,” Adrien did not make an effort to get up, his other hand up his side curling around him.  _ Fuck _ . His heart fluttered as his hand continued through his blond locks slowly, a large part of him not wanting him to leave from his location. He let him continue in peace for another minute, distracted by his sleeping face pressed against his arm, a sense of tranquility he desperately did not want to disturb.

He smiled as he watched him slowly open his eyes, “Also my leg is asleep and I would enjoy getting to move it.” This got him to push himself up quickly, one hand between his legs and the other on the other side of his leg, allowing the other to straighten his leg.

“Sorry,” he offered a grin, looking at the other, whose face was only inches from his, his brilliant green eyes intensified in the early morning light. So badly did he want to just kiss his dumb face but knew better than to act on that impulse. They watched each other a moment, Luka smiling softly back, before Adrien pushed himself back to sitting as he attempted to untangle himself from the blankets, “Good morning, I suppose.”

Luka laughed, watching him struggle, “Good morning is an understatement when I get to wake up with you on my lap.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, amused, “Loverboy, the sun has barely risen, let’s tone down the flirt game a bit,” he stopped a moment, almost defeated by the blankets, sighing as he rubbed his face, “Sorry for falling asleep on you.  _ Again _ .”

“I’m really not complaining. Are we going to make this a regular thing, or--” he teased, watching him finally break free from the fabric before throwing them at him, “Do you need to go or do you want some coffee or I can make us breakfast--”

“You’re sweet,” he smiled, reaching for his laptop to put in his bag, still open from when they were watching, “You this nice to all your accidental overnight guests?”

“Only the ones I like enough and hope to come back, maybe less accidentally next time?”

The blond paused on gathering his things to look at the other, “What sort of hidden agenda do you have in mind?” Luka opened his mouth, ready to defend himself before Adrien shook his head, laughing, “Nah, no, keep it hidden. I am actually going to go finish this nap in my own bed, a bit more ideal than your lap.”

“Ideal for you, maybe,” he joked as he stood up.

“Alright, okay. I will leave you with whatever plotline you have conspiring. I’d recommend going back to sleep for a bit first,” he grinned, “Oh how the tables have turned on us. I’ve got a shoot at 10. And a date tonight. And tomorrow?”

“On a Thursday?”

“Yeah weird. Gotta cancel on Chlo too. My life is exhausting. I’ll be back eventually,” he sighed, picking up his bag, “Probably sooner rather than later. I like you.”

Luka smiled, folding his arms, “Do you want me to walk you home? I don't have work until later--”

“So we could hit a full 24 hours?” He joked, the older boy shrugged, definitely not offended by the idea. Adrien thought a moment, stretching his arms over his head, “No. And only because you’d find out how I sneak out and, honest, some things are best left to the imagination.”

“If you were to make an appearance in my imagination, it wouldn’t be how you manage to sneak out, maybe another scenario where you’d need to keep quiet, but not that.”

Adrien watched him a moment before holding out his hand, “Hey.”

Confused, he looked at him, surprised by his offering, “What--” he hesitantly reached for it before he moved it, shoving his head lightly, “Okay, rude.”

“Stop being such a flirt, you’re literally going on a date with someone else tomorrow.”

“Fine. Text me when you get home, okay?”

He nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket, typing something quickly, “Okay, okay,” he bit his lip, thinking a moment, “I’ll try to remember.”

“Hurry up and leave so I can start missing you,” he joked, adjusting the ball of blankets on his lap as his phone vibrated, “Blondie, I swear to fuck, if that’s you-- you haven’t even left yet--”

The blond laughed, lifting his bag over his head to his other shoulder, “Don’t open it for a bit, it’s practically the same,” he waved, walking off the boat, “See ya later,  _ Luka _ .”

The way he said his name reminded him of someone else, “Bye, stay safe,” he smiled as the other looked over his shoulder one last time. He sighed, laying back down, nuzzling his face into the blankets, realizing they smelled like the blond, bringing almost immediate comfort to him. He reached for his phone to see just what last words Adrien had to say.

_ 10/10 much better than an alarm, would wake up with again _

He felt a dumb grin creep on his face-- what,  _ no _ . He tried to shake this feeling off, but the thought of waking up with him again made him absolutely giddy. The thought of his face and his dumb smile and how he went out of his way to learn more to help him made his heart flutter, but--- no. This was Adrien.  _ The  _ Adrien Agreste, his friend. That was...comfortable. Regardless of how  _ he _ felt, he knew the other would never feel the same way back. No reason to venture into a tunnel with the only outcome being inevitable heartbreak.

He groaned, pulling the blankets over his head, “This is pathetic-- pull yourself together.” he mumbled, shaking his head. But the sum of all the small things had to mean something, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play Weekend by Neon Trees*
> 
> you know in Ouran Highschool Host Club? with the lightbulbs? yeah.  
> see also: flirty Luka unlocked????
> 
> real a/n:  
> a lil bit of a self promo but I recently partook in the Lukadrien Winter gift exchange, so I'll have a new one-shot (i know, odd) up when I'm allowed to post it (and I might take on more one-shots, it was really a fun break but honest made me miss this fic so much lol)
> 
> my tumblr is @rainbow-arrow, and i post when i update, and also dumb memes that remind me of this fic (check the untitled and untitled trash tags) and the occasional fanart, but i honestly don't post miraculous content so uhhh heads up


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First dates, proposals, and drunken ramblings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> t/w  
> implication of assumption of alcohol? (Adrien's drunk)
> 
> I'm like. very committed to this story, but I have like six au ideas for a second long fic to go along with this (def shorter, but still long) and i am ~conflicted~ over which to pursue 
> 
> also this topped the flower chapter, this is the longest (so fAR)

Late July -3-

Luka sighed, twirling the sunflower between his fingers before laying it on his chest. He’d been home for a few hours after his date ended, choosing to get high and mess around on his guitar in a way to work through new ideas. It didn’t last long, exchanging his instrument for the flower he couldn’t bring himself to give away, distracted by the boy who gave it to him. He felt his phone vibrate from the foot of his bed, causing him to sit up, the flower falling onto his lap as he reached for it. The screen, showing an incoming call,  _ mon bonheur _ , made him smile as he picked up, “What’s up, blondie?”

“Heyyyyo, are you home?”

“Indeed I am. It’s past midnight on a Thursday, where else would I be?”

“Well pardon me, as I recall a certain someone- other than me-- had a date, and a certain someone- this time, me- wanted to see how it went. And- hold on-- god,  _ fuck-- _ ” he heard honking and a distant, “ _ Désolé-- mon mauvais _ \---” before he heard the blond sigh, “You were almost the only person to hear my final words.”

He could hear his smile through his words, knowing he was actually fine, “Hm, you apologizing for almost being hit by a car, or you asking me how a date was? And the date wasn’t with you?” he clicked his tongue, “You could do better. Make a reference or something that seems more you.”

“Okay, if you were on the date, why would you be asking about it? Would you have just preferred to be here to  _ witness _ my last words? Holding me as I die in your arms? Bleeding out?”

“And why would you be bleeding to death?”

The blond sighed, “Stabbing, duh. Kinda need to puncture skin to bleed.”

He exhaled a laugh at his intensity of the logic, “I am quite familiar with that concept. I was more speculating on the situation that you’d find yourself getting stabbed in.”

“I  _ have _ been stabbed before.”

“ _ What. _ ”

“I got better-- but hey-- are you home? Because I am almost to your house.”

Luka took his phone from his ear to look at it, confused by most of what was being said, “We already established this,” he stood up, setting the flower carefully on his nightstand, “Blondie, are you okay? Are you drunk?”

“Pshhhht, no, I’m  _ fantastic _ ,” and he sounded genuine, “Come up, I’m nearly there.”

“Must’ve been a good date, huh?” he observed, walking up the stairs. Adrien didn’t say anything to that, the sound of rustling material and beeping that the call ended gave him a good enough idea as to what to expect.

When he reached the top, the blond was walking on the boat, pocketing his phone with his right hand while his left held a small bouquet of flowers wrapped in a brown paper, “Hey hey hey!” He beamed when he noticed the other, practically bouncing over to hug him tight, “Luka! I  _ missed _ you!”

He exhaled a laugh, hugging him back, “We saw each other on Wednesday morning, but I missed you too.”

“You say that like it’s not a long time. If someone was born on Wednesday morning, you would’ve dismissed their entire life,” he raised his eyebrow like he’d made a solid point, which he kinda did? He smiled, taking Luka’s face in his hand, holding him as he kissed his forehead gently as the other’s face darkened at the affection, “I don’t kiss my friends  _ nearly enough  _ as I should.” he laughed, dropping his hand to take the other’s; something else Luka did not expect, “Oh wait--” he held up the bouquet for him to see a collection of red flowers with tight small petals with fiery orange tips, “For  _ you _ .”

The older boy couldn’t help but laugh, “I can only imagine what you’re trying to say with all these mixed messages with all these various flowers you’re giving to me. Could this possibly be your attempt at courting--”

Adrien burst out laughing, taking a step back to cover his mouth in an attempt to collect himself, “Okay--” he glanced at him, snorting as he shook his head, “ _ No _ \-- you’re so funny, you know that, right?” Luka raised an eyebrow, greatly amused, but still felt a sting of disappointment, “First, you don’t even believe in marriage--”

“If that’s the only thing stopping you--” he teased, invoking more laughter from the other. He would’ve definitely remembered the topic of marriage coming up before, making him question where he got that fact from, but he wasn’t  _ wrong _ .

“No no no, okay, so the uhhh- the larkspur was the message I wanted, and these marigolds-- my  _ favorite _ flower, might I add, symbolize passionate feelings of love and romance, you see with the orange tips it combines both the meanings,” Luka knew he was staring, but could not look away from the blond as he studied the flowers, “I said it was a bit extreme for a first date, but who listens to me?” he looked up, noticing him staring, “Okay, let’s emphasize you’re only getting these because my date didn’t want them, and I’ll get in trouble if I return with them, and the sunflower wasn’t even for you, so don’t read into it too much. Does that help clarify what I’m trying to say?”

He clicked his tongue, definitely planning on reading into it more than he should, “Yes, perfectly.”

The blond offered one of his grins as Luka took the flowers, feeling his cold hand under his in the exchange, “ _ Oooh, I’m a marigold~ _ ” he half sang under his breath, tugging on his other hand, “Hey c’mon, let’s sit,”

“Did blondie actually have an enjoyable date for once?” he joked, allowing himself to be pulled to the couch.

“Yes, I so very did.”

He smiled softly, happy that the other had a good time, even when he so very did not, unable to keep the blond out of his head, “Do you want to talk about yours, or me about mine?”

“Well,  _ yes _ . But I want to hear about yours first,” he adjusted himself, his feet pulled under, practically on top of the other who sat criss-crossed. He drummed his fingers against Luka’s thigh, leaning closer in hyped anticipation.

The older boy laughed at his enthusiasm, crossing his arms, “Okay, you’re excited, I get it.” he offered a grin to this comment. He had clearly come straight from the date, still wearing his, now half-removed, tuxedo, completely black with his untied dark green bowtie hanging around his partially unbuttoned, also black shirt. Even hours later, messy hair and  _ clearly _ intoxicated, he looked fucking  _ good. _ Luka couldn’t imagine how much better he could’ve looked at the beginning of his date, “It was fine.”

Adrien waited, watching him for a moment, “That’s it? Luka….” he groaned, falling forward onto his shoulder, prompting him to laugh, “Please tell me more...I want to know.”

“Alright, okay. What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” he mumbled, on the verge of admitting defeat, “Tell me about them. Tell me about your next date idea. Tell me how they laughed. Tell me their favorite season. Tell me--”

“Adrien,” using his name made him look up, “I’m not going on another date with them, let's establish that first. They’re great, but I’m really not in the headspace to date them now. They deserve better.”

The blond, still watching him, sighed, “Luka. Luka-- what’s your second name?” 

“Tomáš.”

“Luka Tomáš Couffaine-- is that--” he paused, thinking, “No, we’ll get back to your name origins later--” the other smirked at his thought process, “You are so wonderful. Anyone who has the honor to go on a date with you, to be in a relationship with you, heck, even just know you, is so so so lucky. You’re patient and kind and so sweet and thoughtful,” he smiled softly, looking back to him, “But it’s chill if you didn’t vibe. Trust me, I know about bad vibes. But it’s not because they deserve better. Who could possibly be better than you?”

He blinked. He was screaming inside for him to say something, but Adrien was so happy, in such a good mood. Last time he joked about it, he didn’t take it too well. His words reminded him when he asked about Mari. Years passed and he still remembered,  _ she’s so lucky to have you _ , mentioned nearly every time they crossed paths. Back then he assumed it was in regards to him wanting the best for her. Now, he hoped it was in regards to the relationship position she was in, “Thanks, I suppose.”

“But how was the date itself? Exhilarating?”

He shook his head, laughing, “Yeah, sure, that’s a word for it. Honestly, I was very preoccupied by other…” he looked at him as he stared back, “things.”

The blond pouted, “Like what? Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not right now, no.”

The pair watched each other before Adrien smiled, “Okay, cool. Maybe later?” he shrugged, “Is your turn over? Onto my date?”

“Yeah. If it was going so great, why are you here?”

“Fret not, loverboy, we will get there.” he smirked, resting his hands back on Luka’s leg, “So I show up, yeah kinda odd we typically go together, which was when I  _ should’ve _ known something was up. But luckily, she was also dreading the whole annoying fancy dinner thing too, so we really zoom to get out,” he was talking quickly, like he was going to forget the story if told slower, “We decided to walk it out, it’s such a lovely night tonight--- Luka, she looked absolutely stunning, so so so good. We were mostly just dicking around, y’know, having fun, making dumb jokes. We go back to her place--” he was intently watching the older boy, who was trying his absolute best to not show how little he wanted to be hearing this, “And we kinda have a few drinks and we start watching this movie-- it was, oh god, she made fun of me for not having seen it and I can’t even remember…” he looked away, deep in thought.

“Blondie, it’s fine, you’ll let me know the second you remember, I know you.”

Adrien smiled, looking back at him, “Yeah, but like, we started watching it, and we kinda made out a bit, which was weirder than normal?” What. Luka suddenly lost all trace of the story. He also definitely felt a tinge of jealousy, knowing that someone else was getting to kiss his dumb face, “And we laughed it off and I mentioned you, and I forgot she always gets sad when she drinks, so she told me to come be with you and here we are,” he emphasized, poking his arm.

Nineteen different thoughts were racing through his head, and the one he chose to go with was, “So I can assume she’s getting a second date?”

He laughed at the idea, shaking his head, “Oh no no no. First,” he held up a finger, “That would be giving into her proposed trope, which is a  _ hard _ pass for me, second,” another finger. Every word out of his mouth just confused Luka more, “She’s such a good friend, and honestly practically my sister, and I’m  _ not _ Luther Hargareeves--”

“I don’t know who that is, also, you just admitted to making out on multiple occasions, and also also,  _ who? _ ”

“Chloe. I definitely mentioned that. I think.”

A wave of relief washed over him, nearly all traces of jealousy erased, “You most definitely did  _ not _ mention that.”

“You of all people should know I take my sweet sweet time to open up,” he teased, “I’m not one to just go to some girl’s house to makeout after dinner on the first date.”

Luka sighed, rubbing his face, “Give me a second-- I’ve gotta get this story straight-- Okay, knowing this information really alters my view and opinion on the story. Also you are definitely drunk, and I am definitely high, but essentially, you went on a date with Chloe. So it was--  _ fuck _ blondie, I thought you actually met someone new.”

“Aw, Luka, I won’t leave you if I find a nice girl,” he leaned his head against his shoulder, “It’s been a ton of fun hanging out with you all summer, and I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything, but- going on a date with Chloe was...nice. She hasn’t really been out a lot and it kinda felt special, ya know? Oh oh, Kagami’s leaving next week, so I will let you know when we can all hang.”

“Cool, chill,” he nodded, “I’m sorry, but I cannot get over the nonchalant mention of how you and Chloe are casual snogging partners. Like, are you taking applications for that?” he joked.

Adrien laughed at the idea, “No, not currently, sorry, but I’ll let you know if it opens up again. What happened was once she kissed me-- it’s a very ‘you had to be there’ story. God, I was apparently not the best, but you know Chlo, she said it much more rude than that. And I suppose our idea was practice makes perfect? I’m apparently much better now.” he laughed, “I have yet to hear from someone else on that though, we’ll see.”

“I could be the decider of that,” Luka teased, causing him to laugh harder.

“Fuck, you’re so funny,” shook his head, leaning back on his shoulder, his hand snaking around his bicep, “I’ve never talked about this before, not even to Nino. I feel like I could tell you  _ anything _ ,” he paused, “I’m not gonna, yet. I don’t think I can? I sure wanna, but I don’t think I should make that call right now...”

The older one exhaled a laugh, amused by this information as the other continued mumbling. Wow, jealous of Chloe Bourgeois. Not a point he’d ever expect to reach in life. They went quiet a moment, “Hey blondie?” he lifted his head to look at the other, “How drunk are you? Alcohol usually isn’t our choice of intoxicant, so I am not used to you like this.”

“Yeah, it makes you annoying and it freaks me out and makes my brain move  _ so fast _ . It’s really stressful so I typically avoid it,” he studied him, “I would argue drunk is a stretch. I’m just tipsy.”

The other boy watched him a moment, “You’re pretty, that’s what you are,” this prompted a smile from Adrien, who didn’t break his gaze from him, “Can I kiss you?”

It really felt like he hit the wrong option on the Sims and could practically see the negative interaction symbols over him. Gears were definitely grinding in his head, clearly not a thought that had ever crossed his mind before this very moment. “Do you  _ want _ to?”

“Why would I propose something I didn’t want to do?” the blond continued to stare at him, Luka really didn’t anticipate this much thought being put into it, “Hey, don’t worry about it. I was mostly joking anyway,” lies. “Because your thing with Chloe?” still no response. He really preferred high Adrien, “I think I’m gonna get you some water--” he uncrossed his legs to stand up, the other watching his every move. Once down the hall his kwami appeared, “Sass, what the fuck.”

“Hm. Seems you broke Master Adrien,” he observed as the other shook his head in self frustration.

“It would be wrong for me to hope he’s drunk enough to forget this, right?” he asked, grabbing a glass.

Sass floated near his head as the glass filled, “There’s nothing wrong with hoping. Rarely ever has an effect on the outcome, and will likely comfort you.”

He shook his head, exhaling a laugh at his words of wisdom, “I suppose you’re right. I just need to be more careful. Imagine that, scaring away the only person I didn’t push away by overstepping,” he sighed, attempting to calm himself before returning to the other, glass of water in hand.

Adrien was laying back on the couch, legs bent and arms folding as he looked up at the sky. He didn’t acknowledge the other as he sat next to him, adjusting himself to be facing him, one leg bent over the other’s feet, leaning against the back of the couch with his arm, “Hey blondie.”

“Hm?” but he didn’t move.

“How’s it going?”

“Fine,” he looked at him, “How does it feel to be old?”

He hesitated before smiling, “Feels absolutely the same. Is that why you came here?”

“I think so," he paused, “I don’t exactly remember why Chloe sent me. I know I mentioned it being your birthday because it’s past midnight.” he pushed himself up to sitting, “So happy birthday, I guess?”

Luka smiled, shaking his head, “You’re unreal, you know that, right?”

He shrugged, “Shame your birthday is on a Friday. Especially this Friday. I don’t get to hang out with you.” 

“Blondie, you’re hanging out with me _right now_.”  
Crossing his arms on his legs, he sighed, “Yeah, but it’s not the same. I want to spend all my time with you-- like, yeah I’m happy with other people most of the time, but I really like spending time with you. Doing nothing. Everything. Like, I super hate going on these dates, but like, if _you_ were there, I think it would be bearable, at least.”

Wow,  _ fuck _ was he a lot when drunk. How much of this was mumbled nonsense, and how much had reasoning backing it up, “Are you saying you’ll say yes if ask you on a date?”

Adrien laughed, shaking his head, “Nah, no. You’re funny though.” he bit his lip, watching the other carefully.

“What?” the other couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m glad you like me.”

“Most people do, do they not?”

He shrugged, “I guess. But I don’t really care about most people.” Luka stared at him, about a foot away, close enough to tell he meant it, “Plus the me they like is the perfect pretty model boy. You like  _ me _ ,” he stared back, biting his lip before sighing, “God I’m tired,” he fell back onto the couch, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands.

“You’re a lot to handle drunk.”

The blond shook his head, “Not drunk.”

“Sorry, sorry, my mistake,  _ tipsy _ ,” he leaned forward, resting his folded arms on the others bent legs, “You never really talk about the movie you were in.”

“I don’t, huh.”

“Do you not want to talk about it, or are you not allowed to?”

“Technically not allowed to, you know, publicly, but you’re hardly public. Why? Do you have questions about it?” he asked, looking at him.

He shook his head, “Not necessarily, no. Did you have fun?”

The blond laughed, “Yeah, I suppose so.”

Luka watched the other for a moment, “You know I found you to be really annoying trying to shove your way back into my life, but when you were gone, I really missed you, blondie. I really love spending time with you,” he paused as the other didn’t react, “And, if we’re being honest, I think I kinda liked you a bit too much when I was with Mari, and although they stopped inviting you for her sake, I think, to a degree, it was for me too.”

This confused him, “What do you mean?”

“I really didn’t mind when she’d ramble about you for hours. I mean, eventually, yeah, but I dunno. Don’t worry about it,” he sighed, watching the other stare at the sky above them. It definitely wasn’t the same as his current attraction, but it really felt like there was always a little something drawing him to the blond. Several minutes passed before Adrien pushed himself up to his elbows, looking at him, “Yes?”

“How does it feel to experience attraction to multiple genders?”

He watched him for a second; a valid question, but no real right way to even begin, “I just...do? It’s hard for me to imagine being limited and only attracted to one, gay or straight. I just really like people for being them. Their gender really doesn’t have an impact on me.”

“That wasn’t very helpful,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry? I’m also a hopeless romantic, as you like to call me, “ he joked, nudging his legs, “Sometimes people have to experience the things to know if they feel anything or not.” he shrugged.

“Okay, but what if something happened and it’s still a big ol’ mystery?”

“I dunno, do it again? I could identify my attraction for a while, I thought I was gay when I was with Julius, but I told you how he reacted when I started to express that. After him there were a lot of girls, ending with Mari. And I just eh--”

Adrien layed back down, “Did you ever have sex with Mari?”

“What? No, oh no no no. It’s really not your concern, but I guess you’re okay, but no no. Did you really think?” he felt flustered, far from typical of him, but it was not a topic he wanted to talk about in general, much less with him, “She was young. And distracted,” he watched Adrien rub his face again, “Completely reasonable, I’d say. But why?”

“Why what part?”

“I’d prefer all parts, but general curiosity of attraction would be a good place to begin. You questioning something, blondie?”

“No, I dunno. People just really seem to understand what they want in life and general and I don’t get it. I’ve been told how to be, what to do, when to do it my whole  _ life _ . Sometimes I forget to  _ eat _ if I’m not asked or told. Plus people are so confident-- I asked Alix how they know they’re aromantic and they said ‘well I don’t experience romantic attraction’ and I was like, what does that mean??? And they shrugged and said ‘I don’t know I’ve never experienced it’!! What  _ does that mean _ ? So I asked Nino-- he came out as ace last summer, and so I asked him ‘like how do you know?’” He laughed, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, “And-- well, first he talked about this duck and pond metaphor-- but he basically said the same thing? Am I supposed to know?  _ Do _ I know? How do I know? But like, I like people? I don’t know the details and reasonings behind it, and I don’t even know how to understand-- how to  _ begin _ to understand. I hate talking about it because I don’t know where to begin and I don’t know any of the answers and I hate getting things wrong because my father taught me failure is the worst possible thing on this planet. But of course not trying is failure within itself...” 

The older boy watched him mumble his way to silence, starting to unbutton his shirt, “Well. I am unsure what I could do to help you, but I’m more than willing if you have an idea.” 

He gave up after a few buttons, sighing as he pulled his bowtie off, tossing it to the other, “It’s a gift.”

Laughing, he took it, setting it on the coffee table next to the flowers, “Well isn’t this the kindest gift. I’ll add it to my offerings pile.” The blond snorted, covering his mouth as he shook his head, causing Luka to laugh harder. He understood most of his amusement came from the alcohol, but he was absolutely delighted seeing Adrien so happy, eyes crinkling at the corners, laughing without a care in the world. The woman was right, there was sunshine in his smile, in his face, his presence, and Luka was just basking in it. He leaned back over on his legs, watching the other settle back down. 

“Hey come here.”

Confused, he hesitated, “Come where? Am I not close enough to you as we are?”

“No, no, like, come  _ here _ .” he said, reaching his hands out in a grabbing fashion, his fingers barely reaching the other, “Like  _ here _ .”

“Blondie, I honestly have no idea where ‘here’ even is.”

He mumbled something under his breath, rubbing his face with one of his hands, the other still reaching with less intention. He moved his leg to the side, causing the other to fall forward, catching himself with his hands on either side of his body.

“What are you trying?” he laughed and started to push back but stopped as the blond’s hand reached for his face, “ _ Adrien _ .”

He smiled at his name, “ _ You  _ said you wanted to kiss me,” he teased, his other hand tangling in his own messy hair, face flushed.

Luka laughed as he felt his own face burn, “Okay well I was mostly joking because of Chloe--”

“Ah, but not entirely.”

He shifted himself forward, almost in line with the other as he dropped his hand to cover his mouth as he tried hard to bite back a grin, “Okay, but do  _ you _ want me to kiss you?”

It was clear he was finding great amusement in the situation he created, “Does it matter? I don’t think I’d necessarily  _ mind _ \--” he laughed, shaking his head, “I’m sorry I just--” 

As he watched him, hand over his mouth as he shook with laughter, he couldn’t help but snicker, absolutely entertained with his reaction. This punk was weird and really unclear with his intentions, but that just fascinated him more, drawn like a moth to light. He lowered himself closer teasingly, feeling his body heat where they touched, prompting the other to just laugh harder, “That sounds like a no from you, blondie.” 

He shook his head, face turning red, “I didn’t  _ say _ no.”

“Your hands over your mouth is hardly a yes,” he joked, crossing his arms on his chest, laying on him as he continued to shake, attempting to quiet himself, “Let me know if you change your mind.”

“That sounds like a no from  _ you  _ now,  _ loverboy _ ,” the blond teased, his laughter subsiding as his other hand moved to twist in his hair, joining the other.

He looked at him, his eyes wet with tears from his laughter, glistening in the dimmed light on the deck, “Not like this. You’re a tad too drunk. Text me in the morning and I’d be surprised if you remember  _ any _ of this.”

“And if I do?”

Luka smiled, setting his chin on his arms, “We’ll see if we get that far.”

Adrien watched him for a moment, stupid grin still on his face as he reached his right hand to run through his blue hair. He  _ knew _ the other could feel his heart pounding, pressed against his stomach, but was far too out of it to say something, “You’re so warm, I thought you were supposed to be a snake.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m quite human and warm-blooded,” he joked, captivated as the other stared back, dropping his hand to his side.

“Hm. So I  _ shouldn’t _ call you scales, huh,” as hard as his heart was beating he felt it stop momentarily, opening his mouth, this was surely a coincidence, “You know, because of music scales-- because you like music, and how snakes have scales-- because-- because--” he tapped his bracelet twice. 

Luka couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head, he certainly had a type, “Sorry blondie, someone else has already claimed that nickname, what’s wrong with the one you already have for me?”

Adrien bit his lip, smiling as he studied him carefully, “I think loverboy suits you well, all lovey-dovey over everyone you meet--” he laughed, snorting, causing him to laugh harder as the other watched him, amused. He understood his joking nature behind the nickname, but hearing him say anything relating to love directed at him made him happy in the most inexplicable way. The blond eventually settled back down, looking at him before shifting his attention to the sky. A silence settled between the two, Luka watching him lost in the stars, a soft smile on his face as his fingers interlaced with his hair, “You’re a good person, Luka Couffaine. I really like spending time with you,” he mumbled quietly.

“You’re a good person too, Adrien Agreste,” he turned his head to the side as the pair returned to their silence, Luka hearing the other’s breathing even out. “It’s frustrating. I  _ really _ like you blondie. I can’t believe before this year I didn’t see the beauty that surrounds your heart. I think I’m going to be okay as long as you’re in my life, like, I don’t even need--I would be more than happy just knowing you, staying in my life. But fuck,” he exhaled a laugh, “I know you think I’m such a romantic sap and I wouldn’t object anything you’d offer me, but I really think there’s something between us," he paused, knowing the other wasn’t going to respond, “On my date with Trev all I could think about was you. They mentioned something about a podcast and I thought of you. They tried to hold my hand and I thought of your weird objection to hand holding. They said their favorite season was fall and I just thought of how you dislike autumn because it constantly smells like death. I couldn’t even bring myself to bring the flower to give to them because you gave it to me first,” he turned his head to look at the blond, who, as expected, was sound asleep. Luka exhaled a laugh, pushing himself off of him back to sitting where he was. 

He pulled the blanket resting on the armrest, unfolding it before tossing it over the other, completely unbothered by the action. His kwami appeared, sitting on his shoulder, as he pulled his knees to sit criss-cross again, “Hey Sass, how’s it going?” 

“Is Master Adrien doing better?”

He laughed, shaking his head, “We could say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play Text Me in the Morning by Neon Trees*  
> there's also a We Are Young reference lol and like a few others but i'm always amused by the blatant fun. ones
> 
> my goal is to have another chapter up before the semester begins so uhhhh yeah.  
> you really thought I'd have their first kiss be like this? 
> 
> ::for those wondering::  
> mon bonheur=my happiness  
> ((i dunno what you expected i said he was a sap))
> 
> Luther Hargreeves is from The Umbrella Academy, if you get the joke, cool, if you don't, neither did Luka


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nail polish, performances, and advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stopped knowing what was going on about 9 years ago, and i only started this fic hmmm...9 months ago. So I've never known anything while writing this. 
> 
> school's back so uhhhh we'll see.

Early August -3-

“It’s way too...people-y here.”

Adrien laughed, shoving his one hand in his pocket, the other removing the lollipop from his mouth, Chloe scooting closer as people passed on their left, “Stay strong, I really believe you can do this.”

It was late afternoon, just after the hottest time of the day, and when they hoped to be less busy, “Just because I  _ can _ doesn’t mean I want to,” she folded her arms, grimacing as they walked towards the park, more people visible within, “I don’t get why we have to be outside at  _ all _ \-- unless-- are you secretly dragging me to something-- Adrien Marcel Agreste--”

“You  _ know _ that’s not my second name--”

Chloe shook her head, definitely not caring, “I can barely tolerate going to spontaneous gatherings during the school year, I thought I would be safe during the summer--”

“Hey, I’m not doing that, besides I want you to come to the one at the beginning of the year next month. We’re just walking this out. Feels nice to get out and get some fresh air, huh? Also, maybe if I buy you flowers my father will consider it a second date--  _ no _ \--” she raised her eyebrow, shrugging at the suggestion, “No, nope, no fake dating, Chlo--”

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t get why you’re so opposed to it.”

“I don’t get why you’re so enthusiastic for it.”

Shrugging, she looked at the ground in front of them, “I think it’s mutually beneficial to both of us,” he waited for an elaboration, which she did not seem to want to provide, “You’re boring, you know that?”

“You’ve told me before,” he put the lolly back in his mouth, “Did you ever get around to watching the video I sent you?”

“Oh, you mean the one that’s 45 minutes long? No, believe it or not,” she shook her head, “Been so busy these past days, I did patrol with Rena yesterday, that was something. Oh, and our date that you just  _ left _ me on--”

Adrien watched her adjust her skirt before she looked at him expectantly, “You don’t need to make an excuse, you could’ve just said no--” she shrugged, acting as if she didn’t understand what he meant, “Besides, from what  _ I _ recall, you told me to leave--”

“I can’t and won’t deny that. You were annoying me,” he shook his head before waving to a small child passing them with his mother, “I still cannot get over how Gabriel straight up didn’t tell you it was me. Flowers and everything, Adrikins, it’s honestly amazing you haven’t found a girl yet.”

“I dunno, they’re all lovely ladies, don’t get me wrong, it’s just...none of them have felt right, you know? Like I’ve met a lot of people and I just know right away that it’s right,” he shrugged, and noticed a familiar blue head of hair on the other side of the park, sitting on a blanket in the grass, guitar in his lap, “Hey we’re going this way--” he nudged her down the path to get closer to him, Chloe definitely not noticing his intentions.

“I really don’t know-- did it feel right when we met?”

He made a face, glancing at her, “I don’t remember meeting you.”

She stared at him before huffing, folding her arms, “Could you  _ try _ ?”

“Sure. I’ll think about it.”

She huffed for another moment before shaking her head in an attempt to cool down, “That’s just so rude. Oh, I did get that dumb cat app you were talking about-- it’s really a lot of waiting, huh--” she looked at him as he nodded, “Is there an endgoal or--”

“Just get the cats. Collect ‘em all,” he shrugged, the sound of the guitar getting increasingly louder, Chloe still not taking notice, “You’ll get invested, I swear it’s fun. Slow, for sure.”

“I suppose I’ll give it a shot,” she hesitated before sighing, “Adrikins--”

“Hm?” 

She shook her head, “This is  _ exactly _ why I sent you away--”

“I did not lead you here for him, let’s clarify that. This is a happy coincidence,” he stuck his tongue out as they approached the older boy, scribbling something in his notebook, “Hey Luka--”

Slightly startled, he looked up before smiling, “Hey you. And Mademoiselle Bourgeois, a rare occurrence, out and about--”

Chloe glared at Adrien, “Well, thanks to this brat it’s becoming more likely, unfortunately.”

Luka laughed, setting his notebook in front of him, “I doubt that’s the most unfortunate thing happening in this world,” he looked to the other, “You didn’t text me in the morning.”

Adrien pressed his lips together, trying to remember when he promised to do that, “Was I supposed to?”

He laughed, shaking his head as he plucked at a few more strings, “Only if you remembered. It’s chill blondie,” his gaze shifted back to Chloe, “It’s really been a second since I’ve seen you. How’s it going?”

“Better than whenever that was. Been hearing a lot about you recently. Can assume you’re fine,” she looked like she was going to keep talking, but chose against it, turning to Adrien, “If you want to stay with him I will not be offended and will happily return to the sweet sweet indoors.”

Looking to the older boy, he shrugged, removing the lollipop again, “Do you want company?”

“It’s always a yes when you’re asking,” Luka watched him as he laughed. It only seemed fair, especially considering he didn’t-- well  _ couldn’t-- _ remember most of their last interaction.

He looked to Chloe, who was not as amused by his comment, shaking her head, “You two have fun-- Thursday, probably, right?” He nodded, “Well. A pleasure, Monsieur Couffaine--”

“Yeah, don’t say that--” Luka hopped in.

“--always nice to put a face to all these stories--”

“You’ve  _ met _ before!” Adrien said, exasperated as he sat down to join the other who was still looking up at her, squinting through the sunlight. 

“Like two years ago-- he didn’t look like--” she gestured towards Luka, who, understandably didn’t know how to react, “this-- I’ll text you later,” she rolled her eyes, waving vaguely as she turned back from where they came, “Bye.”

Adrien sighed, resting back on his hands as the other looked at him, amused by the observation. She wasn’t wrong-- he certainly had grown up since they first met, and apparently, the last time she saw him. It just wasn’t something he noticed because it wasn’t an overnight transformation, rather just small things that added up; taller, as pointed out, and his longer hair was also helping, his bangs just long enough to be side swept. But he definitely seemed...stronger? Was that the right word for it? His shirts were often scoop necks, and the blond noticed how it brought attention to his well toned arms, and allowing teasing glimpses of his defined back muscles. He would never deny when his friends looked good, and Luka was no exception. He nodded towards him, speech slightly muddled, “What’s new with you?”

Luka stared at him for nearly a full minute, as if unsure where to begin, “Nothing much.”

“You working on a new song?” He leaned over to try and catch a glimpse of his scribbled in notebook before the other quickly closed it, “Okay, no.”

“It’s just-- not sharing-worthy yet--” he mumbled, “I’ll show you when it’s something, I swear,” he smiled as an attempt to reassure him, “I mean, we’re allowed to have our own secrets, right?”

_ Uhhhhh _ . He returned the smile, removing the lollipop again, “Did I say something on Thursday?”

Luka laughed, plucking a few of the strings, “You said a lot on Thursday. Was there a particular secret you’re worried about? Scared you let the cat out of the bag?”

Adrien felt his heart stop entirely, dropping down to his stomach, staring at him in hopes he would continue talking, “Was...there a particular one that stood out?”

He pressed his lips together, as if thinking. There was  _ no way _ he told him he was Chat--- but what if he did? This nonchalant, ‘don’t mention it’ reaction was definitely how he would prefer to handle it, but there was no way. Had he actually told him, he-- he hadn’t yet thought of it, but he would probably be so upset. Betrayed, lied to-- god, was he just...using Luka? What was this even all leading to? “You worried about a certain secret?”

Not experiencing  _ any _ relief with that comment, he laughed, watching him carefully, “Just don’t want to waste time repeating conversations we already covered--”

“It wouldn’t be the most horrible thing, getting to know you better-- and sober. Quite a chatterbox, but you were sweet,” he bit his lip as the blond stared back, “You laughed a lot, thinking everything was the funniest thing yet-- you’re really cute when you laugh, you know? Your eyes crinkle at the corners and your smile is just the slightest bit crooked--” Adrien felt himself relax, putting the candy back in his mouth as he set his hands in his lap. It was clear if he had told him, it would’ve been mentioned, but really made him consider telling him sooner rather than later. He looked back to the older boy, still rambling about...his smile? His face was slightly red, but not unlikely in the late summer heat, “You did leave your tie--”

“Oh it’s fine,” he smiled, noticing his hands, half focusing on his guitar, plucking something from memory, similar to how he’d seen him with his lyre, “I still have your sweatshirt, so we’ll eventually get them corrected-- but hey, I like your nails. Different than your usual black.”

Luka looked down, painted a dark metallic blue, “Oh, thanks. I felt inspired to mix it up. I just finished them actually--- still have it--”

“Would you be willing to paint my nails?”

His face lit up, setting his guitar to the side, “Yes. Absolutely-- do you want? I have the blue here-- I’m very excited about this idea blondie,” he pushed himself closer, “This is also a very hand-touching activity, so if that’s not--”

Adrien laughed at his enthusiasm, “I assumed as much, it’s really fine, I don’t mind from you--” he held his left hand out as the other unscrewed the lid, directing his hand to rest on his knee, “I’ve never had my nails painted before. My father has never allowed it--”

“That’s a crime, and honestly, just rude,” he smiled as the blond laughed, focusing on his hand, “I might be biased with my preferred aesthetic, and the subject in this case, but you’re going to look so good. Also, don’t think I haven’t noticed you wearing earrings lately. Inspired much?” he teased, glancing at him.

He bit back a laugh, spinning the stick between his two fingers, “I won’t deny that,” 

He watched the other, complete focus as he moved from nail to nail before setting the bottle down to pick up Adrien’s hand to hold it steady, his calloused fingers against the soft palm of his hand. Trying not to overthink it, he felt his heart flutter, shrugging it as nothing; it had been a while since he let someone hold his hand so casually, he was just being sensitive, “Hey I have a question.”

“You know you can just ask it, you don’t need a whole set up for it,” he joked, not looking away from his work, “What’s up?”

“I was just thinking back to when Chloe would’ve ever met you, and I remember when I first met you, you were a lot more...into music, I guess?” This suggestion made Luka laugh, “It’s just-- not a bad thing, just an observation--”

“No, no, you’re right,” he rotated his hand to do his thumb, “I don’t remember if we talked about this-- I was in music therapy for a long while, and it was great, I loved it, and it quite literally saved my life. Music really is more simple than words, and I really relied on that. But I came across the problem that it’s really easy to be misunderstood-- it’s a universal language taken on a personal scale, everyone having their own interpretation. Fantastic and brilliant, but not the most reliable, my doctor suggested going back to talk therapy because it’s ‘more successful’ in the long run. So I started going back when I was with Marinette. Rough start for sure, but it’s been helpful, really,” he shrugged, “Most music has lyrics anyway so arguably I’ve just rounded out a song.”

The blond watched him as he finished. It actually made a lot of sense, “Poetic,” he mumbled, moving the sucker to the side of his mouth, “I like when you talk through music.”

Luka smiled, “That’s why I like you,” he held his hand for a moment before carefully setting it on his knee before reaching for his right hand, “Don’t move it, this color is really unforgiving with smudging.”

He nodded as he took his other hand, very aware of how his fingers curled into his palm, so unsuspecting against his ring. It was the first time in a long time someone else was touching his miraculous with his knowledge, his direct permission, even. Adrien really didn’t want him to ask and force him to come up with a half-assed lie about the importance of the ring, as he had done for so many people before. He could just _tell him_ , but he really couldn’t. Of anyone, he would definitely trust him with the truth, but to find out he just _tricked_ him into it, that he knew the whole time, that he _kissed_ _him_ back in December. Leaning closer, he watched his face, hoping maybe he could somehow get the message across without ever saying it. Deep in focus, the older boy continued unfazed, his tongue partially sticking out, his concentration causing Adrien to laugh.

Luka glanced up, slightly startled with the close proximity, staring at him before smiling back, immediately returning to his nails, “What?” 

“No, nothing, just thinking,” he mumbled. 

“So I’m not allowed to look at you, but you’re allowed to stare to your heart’s content?” He joked, rotating his hand to finish his thumb, “That’s hardly fair.”

Adrien exhaled a laugh, moving the nearly finished lollipop to the side of his mouth, “Sorry. In my defense, you could walk a block in any direction and come across at least two pictures of me. And I’m only seeing one of you.”

He shook his head, “Sure blondie,” he pulled back to admire his hand before letting go, “Be careful while that one dries. But as expected, you look amazing,” Luka smiled as the other held his hands up to show them off, “I also think a lighter shade would really suit you--” he noted, twisting the lid of the bottle closed, “I’m getting ahead of myself. Do you like it?”

“Yeah…” he admired them for a moment, “You did a great job, and I don’t have a shoot for a few days so I should be fine until then,” he glanced to the other who was definitely watching for his reaction, “Thanks Luka.” 

Nodding, he exchanged the bottle for his guitar, pulling it back into his lap, “Anything for you.”

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh at his declaration, causing him to look up, complete sincerity in his eyes, “Do you want to get back to playing? I could go--”

“I suppose you could,” he strummed a short piece he recognized from something, “I’d really like it if you stayed. You did mention wanting to hear me play, right?”

He hesitated before smiling, “Are you going to show me what you were working on--” he jokingly leaned forward, reaching for his notebook, Luka reacting by placing his hand on his chest to stop him, almost waiting for a reaction. Adrien felt something he sure couldn’t identify as he laughed nervously, “Okay, I’ll take no as an answer.”

Luka didn’t move his hand, studying the blond closely as he arguably leaned even closer, “I’ve got plenty of other things to show you first.”

“For me? You’re too kind,” he stuck his tongue out before the other laughed, playfully pushing him to lay down, careful of his hands, “I’ve never been serenaded before so my standards are non existent, but also really high because I know you.”

He laughed again, adjusting his hands as if deciding on a song to begin with, “Okay no pressure--” Adrien carefully placed hands on his stomach, “I can’t believe you’ve never been serenaded before-- you? Really?”

“It’s not a normal thing in the real world--”

“That’s fair,” he smirked, beginning to strum an intro, “I’m thinking you’d better get used to it.”

\---

Adrien watched the sky shift colors as Luka played song after song, some he sang to, some remained solo, some he recognized from working on them, some from his playlists, some he’d never heard before. They would both interrupt with jokes or comments for the other, their laughter always shifting back to the instrument. It was peaceful, relaxing and  _ fun _ . Similar to when he witnessed him as Chat all the years ago, it was emotional and his balance with the acoustic sound made him just want to hear more. The first few stars started appearing when Luka started another, “You got a curfew, blondie?”

“Unfortunately, yeah,” he reached for his phone to check the time, met by a wall of notifications-- it seemed his group chat had a whole discussion without him, which he dismissed, no messages from Nathalie or his father, putting his mind at ease, “One more song won’t hurt though--” he smiled, undging his leg as he continued to focus on the song.

“Well I’ve got the perfect one for you,” Luka bit his lip as he offered a smile back, watching him as he folded his arms over his head, looking back to the sky.

“Hey dude--” Adrien sat up, recognizing the familiar voice to see Nino waving as he approached down the path, “Oh, dude, Adrien, didn’t even see you-- what’s up?”

Luka had stopped singing, but continued playing as the other approached them, “Oh hey-- Adrien ran his hand through his hair, “I thought you weren’t back until tomorrow--” he defended, crossing his legs.

“Oh, well, I’m off to work for the rest of the evening-- couldn’t get it covered. I just noticed Luka here and thought I’d say hi since it’s been a sec and you mentioned him-- hope I wasn’t interrupting--”  he was wearing his black button up and slacks, his usual uniform, holding his rolled up apron.

“No, nah, don’t worry--” Adrien smiled, patting the older boy’s knee reassuringly, thankful to see his friend, “But are you good? Wanna talk later tonight, or Tuesday still works--”

Nino nodded, “No, I’m fine, really. I hadn’t seen this uncle in like years, plus he was kinda a dirtbag-- Tuesday is good--” his gaze shifted to Luka, who finally stopped strumming, watching the two interact, “Nice to see you’re still playing.”

He pressed his lips together in a slight smile, nodding, “Yeah, of course.”

“I’d love to chat, but can’t be late--” he held his free hand out for a fist bump from the blond, then Luka, who hesitated slightly, “I hope to see you around more. It’s been a hot second, maybe we could hang sometime?” Nino suggested with a shrug, starting to walk backwards, “See you two--”

Adrien waved, smiling before looking at Luka, who’d returned to playing, “That was a nice surprise. I love Nino.”

“It’s fun watching you interact differently with everyone. The various faces of Adrien Agreste,” he teased, propping his elbow on his guitar, watching him as a smirk played on his lips.

He laughed, unsure how to respond, “Do you have a preference?”

“Not yet. I’d love to get to know all of them. Maybe decide from there,” he shrugged, “But I’m not picky, I’ll take whatever you choose to offer.”

The blond bit his lip, shaking his head, “Alright loverboy, I suppose we could work on that. But for the time being, I should probably scurry on home--”

“Could I walk with you, or do you need to do your super secret sneak-in ordeal?”

“Well, I didn’t sneak out, so I don’t need to sneak in. So yeah, I suppose I can let you follow me home, if that’s the high you’ve been chasing all these months,” he joked, standing up before he stretched his arms over his head as the other moved his guitar into its case, snapping the clasps, “Then maybe you’ll stop asking?”

Luka laughed, shoving his other things into his back, looking around to check if he forgot anything, “I know where you live, so that’s clearly not what I’m striving for,” Adrien offered his hands to help him up, which he accepted, “Imagine I just want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can.”

“Trying to imagine right now,” he paused, watching him before pulling his hands back, “Yeah, don’t believe that--” the older boy laughed, swinging his guitar over his shoulder with his bag, “Like, don’t get me wrong-- I clearly enjoy spending time with  _ you _ \--”

“But me spending time with you is what, unfathomable?” he joked, but was clearly irritated by the suggestion as he bent back down, beginning to fold the blanket, “Blondie, you’re such a fun person, there’s a good reason half of Paris is in love with you.”

He scoffed, shaking his head, “Paris also idolizes a group of teenagers with magic powers, so their approval isn’t hard to get.”

“I  _ am _ one of them, you remember--” he’d shifted back to joking, nudging his shoulder as they started down the path. The park’s population had shifted from families to a solid handful of couples, close in their own pairs, enjoying the early twilight.

“It’s not a bash at  _ you _ ,” he nudged him back, offering his hands to carry the blanket. Luka looked at them, shifting it to one arm to hold his empty hand instead, “Luka…” he pouted, half smiling as the other laughed, handing him the blanket, “ _ Thanks _ .”

He continued watching Adrien as if he just didn’t notice, but he did and couldn’t  _ imagine _ what he found so interesting in his appearance, “I really like you, Adrien. You’re a really great person and I really don’t think you get told that enough for what you deserve.”

Adrien smiled softly at him, “Yeah, thanks.” He’d always been told that by such temporary people in his life, people just passing through, gone by the next week. If it was true, why did no one want to get close, stick around longer, get to know him better? If it was really true, the words would’ve been spoken by his father at least once, who was well known to say exactly what he thought. Nino had stuck around and got to know him and told him that, well, in his own terms, of course, but with Luka also agreeing, maybe there was some...truth to it.

“You’ve been quiet today. Thinking a lot?”

“Uh...yeah, I guess--” he laughed, “My father told me he had something important to talk to me about, but it’s not quite important enough for him to make time for me.”

“Well that sucks. Have any idea what it could be about?”

He shrugged, “General talk about how I’m a disappointment--” he joked, glancing at Luka, who didn’t find it to be as funny, “Can we not talk about my father? That’s a whole suitcase best thrown away instead of unpacking. What else is new with  _ the _ Luka Couffaine?”

“Hmm. Can’t say much,” he hesitated, as if debating to continue, “I’ve been thinking about this situational dilemma my friend is in, and I think your input would be fascinating,” he shrugged, nonchalant.

“Never been the best at giving advice, but I’ll try.”

Luka smiled before looking down at the ground in front of them, “So I have a friend-- and she has a friend she’s recently been getting closer to, spending more time together. Now she’s trying to maybe take it a step further, and ask her on a date, but doesn’t even know if she’d be interested in her like that. And she’s also pretty scared that if she does say something things might get weird between them,” he paused, watching the blond, “What should she do?”

Adrien laughed before nudging his shoulder again, “Luka! I told you I am the absolute  _ least  _ qualified person regarding questions like this! Okay first, romance isn’t inherently valued more than friendship-- I’m not getting into that though-- I don’t get why she doesn’t just ask? Maybe her friend says no, but like-- as someone who’s had multiple friends confess their love, I would’ve definitely preferred just asking on a date first.”

The older boy bit back laughter, shaking his head, “Okay, you’re a great advice giver, don’t downplay your worth, blondie.”

“Yeah, well, let me know how that goes over for them.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” he joked as his house came into view. Adrien wished the walk was longer, but also knew he'd be bugging Luka in a few days time without a doubt, “You have to go through a gate and likely locked door and my place doesn’t even have walls. What contrasting lives we lead--” the older boy teased, reaching to take the blanket back.

“I suppose I might like the risk, but being safer--”

“Are you implying  _ I’m  _ the risk?” he laughed as they approached the entrance as Adrien pressed the doorbell, taking a step closer to him.

“I’m just saying, why leave when I’ve got you right here?”

“Oh, but blondie, I need the thrill--” he teased, nudging his shoulder with his.

Adrien laughed as Luka adjusted his hand placement on the blanket, “It normally doesn’t take this long-- they clearly forgot about my existence,” he looked at him, his face soft as he stared back. Adrien couldn’t imagine what, but something was different about him the past week. He seemed...happier? He was smiling more too, and he caught him staring at him more often than not. He really didn’t mind, not the staring or touching or constant desire to spend as much time as possible with him.

“Hey, question.”

“You said there’s no need for--”

“I was making a formal announcement. Playing the horns before the reveal--”

“Just seems a bit...extravagant for you--” he joked, nudging with his elbow before pressing the doorbell again, “See, this is evidence that it is possible to be an only child and  _ not _ the favorite.”

Luka snorted, nudging him back, “You’re  _ my _ favorite.”

Adrien laughed, shaking his head, “Your question?”

“Yeah, so, I’ve been thinking,” he shifted the blanket to his left arm, freeing his right, “I did ask you when you weren’t the most sober, but I was wondering if you’d be interested in us doing something a bit more formal--”

His question was interrupted by the gate buzzing and Nathalie’s face appearing on the screen, clearly frazzled, “Oh. Adrien. We assumed you’d-- Who is this?”

“Oh, this is Luka Couffaine, we were just hanging out-- he’s not trying to come in--” he turned to him to mumble, “No way Gabriel would allow that--”

“Adrien, do not call your father that, we’ve already had that discussion. And do stop mumbling, it is rude. And speaking of, he is busy for the rest of the evening, your discussion must wait for tomorrow in regards to your summer plan, but I’ll need to speak to you before you go.”

So he got halfway through before his father chose to destroy it, “I’ll be home all day tomorrow-- May I please come in? I’m not a Ravenclaw for a reason--” he muttered.

“ _ Adrien _ \--” she snapped before the video turned off, the gate opening.

He pressed his lips together before walking in, making sure it wasn't going to shut on him, leaning against the door, he smiled at the other, “Sorry about--all that. My father believes I need to get re-trained in etiquette or something, if I want to finish terminate-- being with my peers has damaged me somehow. He just hates that I’m having fun. You were in the middle of asking something--”

“Oh no--” he shook his head, “Don’t worry about it.”

The blond watched him a moment before he smiled reassuringly, “You sure? I’m free to stand and talk until--” he stopped as the door opened behind him, Nathalie appearing in the doorframe, “Just kidding-- I’ll text you later?””

Luka nodded, “Yeah-- I’m really glad you stopped to say hi.”

Adrien offered one of his grins as Nathalie called his name, “Of course, loverboy, I love hearing you play-- it’s your most authentic self--” he bit his lip, studying him for a moment, “See ya eventually?” he asked, beginning to close the gate.

“Hopefully sooner than later?”

“Well obviously,” he quipped back, shutting the gate with a click before walking up to the door to Nathalie, looking down at her clipboard, “Is there something?”

“An interview tomorrow at 11am. We will email you key talking points by midnight, please actually read them this time. This interview is important to your father.”

He looked back over his shoulder to see Luka give a final wave before turning away, “He’s never cared about what's important to me though.”

She sighed, shutting the door after he entered, “Your father is just doing what’s best for you, and you know that. Even if you can’t quite see the results yet. He does care for you.”

Adrien inhaled, continuing right up the stairs. He knew that wasn’t true. He knew Nathalie knew it wasn't true, but he knew he also had no right to say otherwise, “Yes, of course,” he mumbled, hearing her tsk in disapproval, “Father knows best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weLL my school started last week so missed that goal  
> i always feel so bad when people tell me this fic makes them suffer or they can't wait for them to get together like this isn't like. a painfully slow slow burn. it's like i'm hurting you and it makes me feel Bad, but I am unsure if I should be sorry about it?
> 
> also imo chapters from luka's perspective are so much more enjoyable  
> but how else does an anxious mind work y'know
> 
> trope hit list:  
> -painting nails  
> -meeting the friends  
> -situational advice that's obviously going to be used on the answering person  
> -serenading at a park and getting walked home(!)  
> god there's def more. I'm a sUCKER for these tropes   
> if you have one and are like 'hmmm maybe they'll never hit it' oh i will.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cameras, kinks, and comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy heck y'all so sorry the beginning of the semester is always such a disaster, not knowing how much effort you've gotta put into classes, ya know? also zoom classes sUCK.  
> anywho, sorry. I'm here. I'm back.

Early August -3-

Adrien huffed, pulling his hood up to allow his kwami to sit out of sight on his shoulder as the front gate slammed behind him. The hot August heat added to his irritation, but desire to talk to Plagg while walking outweighed his urge to remove a layer.

“Kid, sure it’s shitty he’d try to control like that, and I hate being the outside voice here, but are you surprised  _ at all _ ?” He sighed as an answer, shoving his hands in his pockets, “It sucks for sure, but it’s hardly the worst thing. Pick one of the what, eleven? Twelve maybe-- you’re burning through them so fast, kid-- pick one and go on a second date. Why is that so hard?”

“No, it’s-- that’s not the point-- we agreed-- first, it’s ridiculous I had to agree to it in the first place-- he’s not allowed to pull out some dumb rule because he changed his mind-- or because he realized I was finally  _ enjoying _ myself--” he cut himself off as they passed a mother pushing a stroller, the kid waving playfully as Adrien offered a smile and a wave back, “He also has  _ no _ right deciding who I spend my time with-- and besides, if I liked any of the girls enough I would’ve said something. They were all fine but like-- they weren’t--”

“Weren’t what? They weren’t Luka, that’s for sure.”

He stopped abruptly, waiting for his kwami to face him, “What does  _ that _ mean--”

Plagg shrugged, flicking his tail against his neck, a clear indication he wasn’t going to move, “I’m not one to speculate--” his master scoffed, rolling his eyes before continuing to walk, “But you spend  _ so much _ time with him--  _ I _ don’t mind, Sass and Roaar are fantastic and Mullo is there a lot too, but I was talking to Pollen--”

“I hate this dumb gossip circle you’ve created.”

“--and he was talking how Chloe noticed-- hey kid, come on--” he nudged his cheek as he continued to storm down the street, “We support you whole-heartedly--”

“Support  _ what _ exactly?” He didn’t stop as his kwami settled back, sighing at his interruption, “And who is this ‘we’ you’re talking about?”

“You’re just...happy when you’re with him. The other kwami’s have noticed too,” he spoke softly, catching the blond off guard. He really meant it, “You were so happy at all the small things when we first met, and your life has just been a complete dumpster fire since then. I know you don’t like to talk about it, but you’ve really gone...numb. And I get how not wanting to be akumatized is one thing--”

Adrien pressed his lips together, continuing to walk without much direction or purpose, “I’m fine, Plagg--”

He groaned, “You’re  _ not _ \-- you’re  _ better _ , but far from fine,” he paused, peering outside his hood, “Hey, where are you taking us?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care. I just need to walk and just be moving to not think about my father and his dumb stupid ideas and dumb stupid--”

“You’re walking to the river, aren’t you?”

Looking around, he realized he  _ was _ walking to the river, the same path he’d wander the times he didn’t want to take the rooftop express option, “The river’s a big thing-- plus it’s a Monday, and Luka doesn’t like to be bothered on--”

“I didn’t mention him, but I honestly doubt he’d consider you a bother,” Adrien turned his head in an attempt to glare at him, “I hate you humans sometimes. Inability to see what’s right in front of you.”

The blond shook his head, “I don’t get it. You made fun of me when I was in love with Ladybug, convinced me to entirely give up once I found out who she was, harassed me  _ constantly _ when I was with Kagami, nearly every single date you just  _ bother _ me non-stop--”

Plagg sighed dramatically, “Kid, this is ridiculous-- I’m not trying to trick you into something, I’m just pointing out what I notice. Right now it’s up to you and--”

“Luka?”

“Yes,  _ exactly- _ -”

Adrien shook his head, “No, that’s Luka, isn’t it?” They had nearly reached the river, at one of the bridges closest to the Liberty-- it was not his intention to find the other, but it was not something he was going to complain about. His kwami didn’t answer, and despite not seeing him, could feel his irritation radiating off him, “Shut up-- I’m just gonna say hi--” he stopped walking, glancing around before Plagg flew in front to face him, arms crossed, “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove to me.”

“It’s fitting that you want to be an actor. All you do is just pretend anyway.”

His mouth opened in offense. He couldn’t imagine what his kwami was trying to convince him of, “I--  _ Plagg _ . You’ve been saying variations of that to me for  _ years _ , and I still have no idea what you’re talking about. And this isn’t some dumb acting whatever excuse you think I’m using here. You’ve always claimed to be my voice of reason, but if  _ anything _ , you just confuse me more.”

The blond watched his kwami a moment before looking in the general direction of the bridge, watching the older boy fiddle with a camera, “I can’t just  _ tell you _ , you’ve gotta figure it out yourself,” his vague answer irritated the blond, who sighed, returning his gaze to him, “I can lead you to water, but  _ fuck _ I can’t make you drink, kid,” 

He exhaled in an attempt to level himself, sick of his riddles, “Okay, so, I’m going to go talk to Luka, who doesn’t talk in vague proverbs--”

“But he does make you happy, huh? A lil joy to break through your numb facade?”

Adrien stared at him a moment before choosing to ignore him completely. Plagg might’ve had a point, but the way he was implying made him seem like he had some hidden message he was trying to force in as well. Pulling his hood down, he turned to continue walking, crossing the street to the bridge, biting back a smile as he got closer, “Is that  _ the _ Luka Couffaine?”

The older boy smiled, but didn’t move from where he was crouching, holding his polaroid camera, bracing his elbows on his knees. It flashed and he looked up at the blond approaching him, “It is indeed. Is that  _ the _ Adrien Agreste?”

Offering a grin, he nodded, “The one and only.”

“You’re never available on Mondays, what’s up?” He asked, pulling the film from his camera.

“Oh. Right. I normally have shoots and you have therapy-- if you’re not in the mood, I can just go--” he gestured back over his shoulder. He really didn’t want to go. Just stumbling into him definitely helped lift his spirits.

Luka shook his head, standing up as he reloaded the camera, “No, it’s chill. I’ve been pretty good recently, with my last increase, so we--” he hesitated. Adrien felt him watch him carefully, bracing himself for the question he absolutely despised hearing, “Are  _ you _ okay?”

He bit his lip, nodding enthusiastically, “Yep. Fine. Never better,” he shouldn’t lie so blatantly to him, he could easily see through it.

“Blondie, you’re actually shaking. Did something happen? Do you want to talk?” He shook his head, avoiding his gaze, “Do you...want a hug?” Considering for the briefest of moments, he shook his head again, “Okay, so now I  _ know _ something’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s  _ wrong _ , it’s just so hot and I don’t wanna be touched-- I’m all sweaty and gross--” Luka laughed, shaking his head, “What are you taking photos of?” He asked, desperate to talk about anything other than his own emotions.

He hesitated, not wanting to drop the topic, but very aware the other did, “I just take some of everything. Buildings, plants, people, things I find to be pretty. Pretty people?” He offered, holding up the camera as Adrien shook his head, smiling, “Just a hobby I picked up a while ago, nothing worth bragging about, I just enjoy it.”

The blond gestured behind himself, “Could we walk? Not in the mood to be still--” Luka nodded, joining him to go back from where he’d come. Adrien pulled his sleeves up, clasping his hands together, the afternoon heat starting to get to him. He glanced at the other, dressed more appropriately, a black well fitting tank top, featuring a light pink skeleton hand making some symbol obstructed by holding the camera in his left hand, his attention drawn to worn down leather cuffs on both his wrists. His eyes flickered down the rest of his body, dark distressed shorts and his socks half scrunched, sticking out of his colorful high tops. It seemed as though every time he ran into the older boy he just looked  _ so good _ .

“Nails didn’t even last a day, huh.”

Adrien sighed, looking at his hands before rubbing his face, “Yeah, not even. God, I hate my father,” he paused, not feeling right even saying it, “No, I don’t. He’s just frustrating and controlling and ugh…”

“Did something happen? You don’t often complain about life, but I’m honestly not surprised that it’s this of all things.”

He shook his head, “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to bother you with all my dramatic at home problems. It’s nothing new, anyway. It doesn’t matter, I’ll get over it.”

“If it’s bothering you, it matters to me at least,” the blond looked away, “Do you want to hang? We could head back to the Liberty?” He asked, pausing by the stairs before Adrien answering by walking down them. He probably didn’t have that much time anyway.

“Hey, what time is it?”

“Oh, uh…” he glanced at his wrist, “I haven’t worn a watch in years--” he pulled out his phone as Adrien smiled, watching him, “3:37. Have somewhere to be?”

Shrugging, he jumped down the last step, “Eventually. Forgot my phone, so I’m kinda rogue, if you will.”

Luka smiled, pocketing his phone, his hand brushing against his, “Also forgot to wear real shoes?” He teased, referencing his burks he was wearing with mis-matched colorful socks, “Socks with sandals? You’re a model, blondie.”

He laughed, playfully bumping into him, “First, I’m also wearing a sweatshirt in thirty degree weather. Second, feet are weird and my socks are cute. And third, I clearly did not expect to leave the house, so I will admit it’s not my most put-together look.”

“Well I think you look great regardless of what you’re wearing,” he smiled as Adrien laughed again. Even in such a foul mood, he found himself still so happy in his presence, practically forgetting what got him so upset in the first place. Typically he would ramble and complain to Chloe, who was  _ not _ good at comforting in any way. Really specialized in provoking and infuriating him further, for sure, “Guess someone doesn’t have a foot fetish.”

Adrien snorted, “Oh, and you do?”

Luka clicked his tongue, shaking his head, “You really think we’re close enough for you to ask me that?”

“You’re the one who’s normally asking--”

“Maybe my hidden agenda is taking form--” he laughed as Adrien rolled his eyes. Their relationship was significantly more open than with his other friends, in a very particular way he couldn’t quite pinpoint. With Luka, he felt more playful, the fun flirting he mastered as Chat, but still able to ramble about music and anime and podcasts he knew he’d never listen to. The best of all worlds, he felt the most at home with Luka, “I don’t have a foot fetish, blondie.”

“Well, I’m not one to kinkshame, but--”

“Stop--” he cut him off, laughing, “I’m scared you’re going to say something I’m into--”

He laughed in response, “Scared I’ll call you a furry for liking Chat Noir?”

“Even if I am, I’m not ready to accept it yet-- plus, liking one catboy is  _ hardly _ \--” Adrien watched his face darken, absolutely amused by his flustered state, “It’s hardly that-- he’s the one who never let me see him unmasked--”

The blond shrugged, “That you know of.”

Luka hesitated, his brain gears definitely whirling, “Oh  _ fuck _ , blondie. He fucking would--”  _ uhhh yeah he would _ , “God I hate how much I like that cat sometimes--”

“Still, huh?” He found himself smiling, recently more amused by his crush.

He clicked his tongue, “Well, I don’t want to say I’ve moved on, per say, Chat’s always gonna hold a dear spot in my heart, but I’m...accepting it’s unlikely. I’ve got to stop doing this to myself,” he looked at him, exhaling a laugh as the houseboat appeared in sight. Adrien did not like the feeling he got hearing that news. It was supposed to be  _ relieving _ , but it almost felt disappointing?  _ That he was moving on _ ??? This was not in any way what he expected, and genuinely had nothing to say, thankful when Luka spoke, “Do you want to sit in my sad spot?”

“I’m sorry, your  _ what _ .”

“Its--” he shook his head, directing him towards the river, gesturing to the small space between the back of the boat and a ladder coming up from the river, “I would sit here when I would be sad because it was different enough to not be like  _ on _ the boat, but it’s close enough so I felt justified not putting shoes on to walk over here. True all times but one-- I can show you the scar on my foot the one time--”

Adrien raised his eyebrows, “Okay, now you’re offering to show me your feet. I’m really starting to doubt this whole ‘no foot fetish’ deal--” he laughed as Luka shoved him lightly, rolling his eyes.

“I have plenty of real kinks you are more than welcome to shame, you’ve just gotta find them out first. Feet, not one of them. I’ll give that to you,” he sat down, legs hanging over the edge as he set his camera to his side, looking up at the blond to join him, “I know this conversation has been very  _ foot _ heavy, but might want to take your shoes off so they don’t fall into the water.”

He nodded, slipping them off before sitting down next to him, “Yeah,  _ okay _ \--” he smiled, glancing at Luka, who was definitely watching him expectantly, “It’s a nice spot, I’ll give you that much.” They were in shadow from the boat at this time, the temperature in general significantly more enjoyable from the water, lapping against the wall. Adrien knew he wanted him to talk, he could tell, featuring his ‘nonchalant worry’ look; pressing his lips together, his face softer, with sharp, definite concern in his eyes as he watched him, as if calculating his next move. Maybe a combination of a number of things, but found opening up to be  _ easier _ with him. He exhaled a laugh, tapping his fingertips together, unsure where to even begin, “I mean, it’s just Gabriel being Gabriel,” he shrugged, “I really don’t want to unload this onto you, it’s been like a six year disaster in the making--”

Luka clicked his tongue before scooting a bit closer, angled slightly so there was some room between them, their knees touching, “If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. If you want to, you can tell me however much you need to, just pretend I’m a black hole-- sometimes just saying it outloud to someone else can really help.”

Biting his lip he interlaced his fingers, deciding to not get into the history, “Okay, well, saying he really did not enjoy my nails is a drastic understatement. Noticed in the morning and went off then-- which mostly just set him up to be in a worse mood when he finally had time to talk to me--” he sighed, “I really don’t want to explain everything-- it’s a lot.”

He shook his head, “Just say what you want. I’ll piece the rest together.”

Adrien watched him a moment-- of course he would. There were times where he was aggressively reminded of what an absolutely spectacular person he was, “So I’ve been going on all these dates that he’s been setting up because he said it’s for my best interest,  _ whatever _ , and if I go on them, and am where I’m supposed to be when scheduled, I get relative freedom for the rest of the time,” Luka nodded, listening, “But now he’s upset that I haven’t gone on any  _ second _ dates, but I just really don’t like any of them enough.”

“And you told him?”

“Yeah, I really tried, and he just...didn’t like that,” he looked across the river, not wanting to get into what he said. It wasn’t new, the same target words thrown at him; inconsiderate, overemotional, stubborn, selfish-- narrow-minded was a new one, and of course,  _ dramatic _ . Like always, went off how he knew what was best for him and the brand. It was for the brand, “And as a whole disaster it was, topped off with him bringing back my nails and how I should ‘choose better people to associate with’-- yeah I kinda left at that--” he exhaled, looking to him for a reaction of some form, “I’m really fine, don’t worry about me, please.”

Luka smiled softly, “I won’t. Just for you,” he  _ seemed _ to be sincere. 

Adrien sighed, leaning his head on his shoulder, “It’s so dumb, and I want to hate him, I really really do. But he’s my dad? My mom wouldn’t want that, plus, in terms of family, he’s nearly all I have left.”

He nodded, “It’s perfectly reasonable to be frustrated by him, he’s being ridiculous, since you two did agree on conditions already. For him to change his mind like this hardly seems fair.”

“I just knew arguing with him would've gotten me nowhere, so I left. Hence, my lack of phone and outfit,” he shrugged, “I have fencing later, which I need to go to because if I don’t then he gets proven right and has a step above me and that’s  _ more _ than enough for him to revoke all my freedoms for these last few weeks. He just wants to control me and everything I do.”

The older boy watched him as he stared into the water below their feet as he put his arm around his shoulder, “I'm sorry you have to deal with it at all,” Adrien felt his hand move down to his arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze as he leaned his head atop his. He hated people worrying about him, opening up about his problems, other people existing and knowing about his problems. He’d told Nino on occasion, but kept it vague enough so he’d know there was a problem, but not exactly enough to know how bad it was.

He wanted to cry. Just get it all out completely unashamed and unjudged, but Plagg was right. Chloe was right. He’d gone numb. It was hard to care about anything enough, to be vulnerable enough. Because regardless of what he felt or expressed, nothing changed, so what was the point in bringing those he cared about down with him? If he acknowledged it, it made it real, and making it real would lead to a whole thing, and potentially an akumatization, all completely avoidable. He just wanted to be happy and carefree.

“I like your little guy,” he mumbled, tapping the small dinosaur tattoo above his knee he’d never acknowledged before, “Does it have a name?”

Luka laughed, “No, I haven’t gotten around to it, I guess-- been around for fuck, four years already. Do you have a name in mind?”

“No, it’s not my place to name your drunken creation.”

“Fine, that’s fair,” Adrien could tell he was watching him as his hand slid down to his waist, “You want any tattoos, blondie?”

He pressed his lips together, thinking, “I don’t think that’s an idea I should even consider, lest Gabriel were to find out and I would likely cease to exist on this planet.”

“Well you’ve got what, seven, eight months until you turn eighteen?” He nodded,  _ fuck  _ that felt like such a long time, “Well, I believe in you. And I’m sorry he’s like that to you, but I’ll be here for you whenever you need me,” his arm tightened around his waist, in an almost side-hug, “You deserve so much happiness, Adrien.”

The blond smiled, nudging him back gently as a form of reciprocating the hug without moving his hands he was fixated on, inspecting the small specks of the blue paint on them, “Thanks,” he mumbled as the other moved his hand to gently rake up his back.

“There’s just--” he stopped, cut off by a familiar buzzing from his pocket, “Sorry-- Jules is one of the only people I don’t have silenced-- and since you’re here--” he explained, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check, “She can message me--”

“No, you can just take it-- it’s probably important, right?”

The older boy clicked his tongue, “Not necessarily true--” he switched to his left hand, answering it to keep his other on him, “Oh and you too-- what’s up?”

Adrien was close enough to hear Juleka’s voice, “Just wanted to give you a heads up there are other people over. Dunno where you went or when you plan to be back, but uh--” a door opened and she walked onto the lower deck, creating an echo, “There’s a code spots too, so as-- oh--” she noticed them, hanging up as she leaned over to talk to them directly, “Sup you two--”

Luka sighed, setting his phone beside him as the blond looked at him, he had a hunch, but asked quietly, “What’s a code spots?” 

“Just a heads up for when Mari’s over,” he looked up at his sister, his hand still tracing along his back, “Thanks, I’ll probably head back out then.”

“Not in the mood?”

He shook his head, waiting for her to leave, which she made zero intention of, “Is there something else you need?”

“Nah, nope. Nothing else from me,” she watched them another moment, smiling as she turned back inside the kitchen, leaving them alone again.

Adrien looked back down at his hands, “I should probably go-- it’s almost five, isn’t it?”

Glancing at his phone, he nodded, “Do you want me to walk with you?”

He sighed, trying to clear this dumb sad cloud clogging his brain, “No, I’m fine. Thanks though,” he offered a smile, as if convincing him he was okay, regretting nearly every word out of his mouth from the previous hour. He pushed himself up to standing, Luka’s hand finally dropping from his back as he watched him slip his burks back on, “I’ll be around again,” he shrugged.

Luka nodded, standing up to join him, “I don’t doubt that,” he smiled, offering his arms, “I really don’t care how sweaty you are, blondie.”

He laughed, taking his offer, his arms wrapping tightly around his waist. He wished he could exist this closely to him forever, nothing could top this, feeling safe and loved. Paranoid the hug was lasting too long, he started to pull back, knowing his face was definitely flushed. This was normal, right? “Yeah, I should probably head out--”

“Hey--” Luka started softly, his hands never leaving his body, his left brushing his hair off his face and other on his shoulder, “You’re an amazing person, Adrien. You are so sweet and thoughtful, and your kindness would be alarming if it wasn’t so damn consistent,” he felt himself smile at his words, more the phrasing than the content itself, but enough that the other smiled back, “I want you to know how phenomenal you are. I’m sorry for who doesn’t see it, it’s their loss, really. But there’s definitely a part of me that likes how I get the best of you.”

Adrien watched him lean closer, his blue eyes soft as he watched him. He couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, his fingers tracing the nape of his neck felt like so much more than it was, causing his heart to flutter. But no-- this wasn’t right. There was something mesmerizing about the older boy that made this moment freeze in time, something different.

Luka smiled, reaching up to ruffle his hair, breaking his trance, “I’m rarely okay, and reaching out is hard, so if you ever want to talk I’m here for ya, blondie,” he smiled back, wrapping his arms around his neck as Luka’s made their way to his waist, lifting him slightly, invoking laughter from the both of them, “Can I adopt you and free you from your shitty home life? There’s plenty of room on the Liberty for ya.”

“I’d like that a lot, but Nino already has dibs on me--”

Setting him down, he laughed again, “I’m not losing you to a game of dibs,  _ especially _ one where I have a two-year disadvantage.”

“Closer to three, but I’ll let him know someone wants to challenge him,” he smiled, watching him as he took a step back.  
“Okay, but _who’s_ the legal adult in this situation?”

Adrien threw his hands up, shrugging, “He turns 18 in November, so you better hop on it.”

“November’s so far away, blondie! Let’s head down right now-- it couldn’t be that hard of a process-- sign some forms--” he joked, picking up his camera.

“Yeah, sure, while we’re at it, let’s pick up a marriage license and a death certificate. Round out the rest of my life,” he joked, “But it’s more likely only one will be used, care to take a gamble as to which one?”

Luka laughed, teasingly taking a step closer, “Can I tell you which I’d prefer?”

“You want an impromptu wedding? Okay, based on our timeframe, I’d have to pick someone random from the street-- very  _ Dynasty _ -esque--” 

“Aw, you wouldn’t even consider me?”

The blond snorted, shaking his head, “You’re wanting to adopt me-- but it doesn’t matter, in this disaster scenario you’ve tried to create, only one is needed-- ” he paused, watching as Luka smiled, opening his mouth, “No no no-- sssshpt-- stop derailing--” he laughed, holding up his finger as if to shush him, “The answer was the death certificate. Because Gabriel would  _ kill _ me--”

“Disappointing,” he shrugged before laughing as the other shoved him playfully.

“Scrap this idea--completely--”

He nodded, “Yes, absolutely,” he paused before lifting his camera again in offering, “We’ll keep brainstorming ideas-- but in the meantime?” 

Adrien laughed, amused with his persistency as he ran his hands through his hair, “Okay loverboy-- just for you--” he watched Luka bite back a smile, not moving as he stared back, “What?” he laughed, amused by his hesitation, “I don’t have all day, you know--”

He snapped the picture, not looking away from him, “You’re cute when you laugh, I think we’ve discussed this before--” he teased, “If I wanted a picture of you posing, I could just go anywhere in Paris, right?”

The blond smiled, “Well now you’ve got a more-candid picture. Doesn’t that make you feel special?” he teased right back as the other nodded. The two watched each other for a moment before he cleared his throat, taking a step back, “Hey-- you know I super don’t care what my father thinks, right?” Luka continued looking at him, “Like, I really don’t care if he doesn’t approve of you-- I like you so much more than most people, and not only am I just sick of him trying to control my life--” this point he was trying to make was proving to be much harder than he intended, “I just really-- there’s nothing he could say that would tear me from you, y’know?”

Luka exhaled a laugh, shaking his head, “Of course, blondie.”

“Super need to go though--”

He nodded, gesturing him away, “Yeah, go, go--”

Smiling, he started walking backwards, “I’ll see you later?” Luka waved as he pulled his hood backup, waving once before turning to walk straight. About a block in he felt his kwami settle into his spot, his tail flicking his cheek. Adrien wasn’t too surprised when the other didn’t say anything, but he did get what he was trying to tell him earlier. Luka  _ did _ make him really, stupid happy. And safe enough to open up, although still a struggle, but comforted when he finally did. Nearly everything he did with the other made him want to do more; he would’ve just sat there in silence with him until the sun set, easily.

Plagg eventually sighed, “You feeling better, kid?”

Adrien laughed, “You might be onto something.” He heard his kwami groan, prompting him to laugh again. He could acknowledge it at least, no harm would come from that, right? To just admit it to himself-- that hardly meant anything. Even though he didn’t go out  _ looking _ for him, he couldn’t express how thankful he was to stumble into him. He knew, despite how terrible his father would get, he’d at least have Luka right there with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd say to play Mad Love by Neon Trees but like, just like. the intro, but not tHE intro, you know?  
> just...think about playing it??? i dunno.
> 
> thankssss *insert finger guns*
> 
> also uhhhh plagg might be onto something.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marshmallows, advice, and competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's a lil late in my defense it's a lil long

August -3-

“What’s up blondie?”

“Heyo, so I know you’re probably sick of hanging out with me--” Luka laughed, turning the phone on speaker to set it on the counter. No way he could get sick of him, “But it’s one of Kagami’s last days with us- god that sounded morbid--” he smiled as he heard laughter on the other end, implying the girl was with him, “And so us-- _and_ Chloe are hanging out and would appreciate your company.”

He crouched down to check the temperature on his thermometer, Sass eagerly hanging by, “Oh, right now?”

“Well, yeah, I definitely want to see you. And we could also use a fourth. Are you busy?”

“I’m um…” he paused, focused on the pot, “I’m actually making marshmallows.”

“Yeah?” He practically could hear the blond smile, “A particular reason for it?”

Luka looked at Sass, who they were for-- he had to know that, right? “Just really. You know, been on a marshmallow kick--” reaching the temperature, he took the pan off the heat, “I mean I can be over in like 15, 20 minutes? I’ve just gotta finish this,” he turned the mixer on, beginning to add the heated liquid.

“Cool cool, we’re at my house, so--”

He exhaled, not wanting to deal with having to get inside, “I guess I’ll call you when I’m there--” especially with the events of the previous week, the odds of making it in alone were absolutely zero. He was certain he’d made it on some sort of banished list that, despite Adrien’s best efforts, he could not get off of.

“Okay, I’ll let you finish your...marshmallows. I’m excited to--- sorry, sorry, _we’re_ all excited to see you~”

“Alright blondie, I’ll be right there,” Luka smiled, still focusing on pouring the hot liquid. “Do you want a fun flavor this time, or is vanilla the way to go?”

“Vanilla is perfect, master!” Sass was beyond excited for fresh mallows, his absolute favorite. Making them was easy, but if he didn’t have the time, or really, motivation, he could always buy some. He knew Tikki loved sweets, which was fitting and convenient with Marinette and the bakery. But also the other kwamis had their own weird fixes, especially Plagg and his stinky camembert. Poor Chat Noir, he laughed, knowing how lucky he got. 

“Sass, you’re getting formal again,” he teased, standing to place the now empty pan in the sink, filling it with water, “10 more minutes and then it just needs to sit for a couple of hours, but that’s nothing, right?” he leaned against the counter as the machine continued mixing, his kwami sitting on his shoulder, peering over to watch it spin.

Adrien clearly wasn’t the most emotionally open person _intentionally_ , definitely wanting to not worry others. Their ordeal on Monday was followed by the next two days of _minimal_ communication, barely acknowledging his messages were received. But then emerged earlier this Thursday morning, acting as though nothing had happened, sending memes and random thoughts like nothing was wrong. Luka wanted more than anything to have been with those days, serving as a reminder of where he stood with the other, thankful he saw him at all. He sighed, watching the spinning for a minute, looking away before he got too dizzy. 

He had all these stupid habits from previous heartaches, but this was so _different_ with him, so much _better_ with him. Sass nudged his cheek, grabbing his attention back to the mixture, now thick enough to be set in the pan he’d already prepared. His kwami hung by close, eagerly watching him as if he didn’t need to wait four more hours for it to be ready. Setting the dish to the side, he grabbed his phone, greeted by a message asking: _guitar?_ Followed by a separate message of the same hopeful emoji twice. He smiled, walking out of the kitchen to grab his instrument from the lower level, typing as he went.

_just for you, blondie  
_  
He wanted to bring his acoustic, but realized he only had a few hours before rehearsal, and he would rather spend every possible minute with the other, regardless of what they ended up doing. Seeing Kagami would definitely be interesting-- he couldn’t deny he was always curious as to what exactly went down, but always found the lack of information made it easier to move on from it. Grabbing his bag and heading up the stairs, his phone vibrated again, more emojis, more enthusiastic about his response. He bit his lip, imagining the other’s face in the same way, his stupid dumb smile-- _god_ , he would do _anything_ to see Adrien happy.

Luka wheeled his bike out, sighing as he looked to the nearly cloudless sky. He definitely knew what he wanted to do, but knew there was something still a bit...off. He’d put a lot of thought into his different options and understood it was very much a two-way activity, respecting the likely possibility Adrien would never want to pursue with him. 

His kwami settled into the basket in his favorite spot as he began to ride, the slight breeze feeling nice in contrast to the late summer heat. But he couldn’t figure out _why_ things were so different with him. Falling in love wasn’t _new_ to him, but it was the same every time. As Juleka loved to say, it would happen at the drop of a hat, something in him _longing_ for his person of interest-- Julius, Fae, Marinette, any number of the girls from collège, _Chat_ \-- but Adrien, it was like he was already in love with him. He wasn’t just a new song he found and liked, it was one he knew and enjoyed, resparked after forgotten time.

Parking his bike against a lamppost across the street from the infamous Agreste house, he grabbed his guitar, slinging it over his shoulder, “Oh yeah, you’ll be able to see Longg, if Kagami’s there-- unless she already gave up her miraculous--” he said to Sass, peaking over basket as he watched his master fiddle with his lock, “You kwami’s kinda have your own socializing thing going on, huh.”

He nodded hesitantly, “With Ryuko gone, things are certainly going to be different.” 

Approaching the gate, he reached towards the bell, hesitating before choosing to call the other, a safer bet for sure. Without warning, the woman from before, Nathalie, appeared on the screen, speaking harshly, “What is your business here?”

“Oh-- hi I was--”

“You have no business here. If you cared for Adrien at all, you would know better,” at that the screen went dark, leaving him to process what even just happened.

Sighing, Luka looked back down his phone, “Cool cool,” he nodded, holding it to his ear as it began ringing, smiling as he heard the other’s voice, “Heyo to you too-- yeah, I’m here. I didn’t even ring it and was already told to leave. I just feel so loved and welcomed.”

“Aw,” he laughed, hearing a door close, “Well I’m coming so hopefully that statement can be said a bit less sarcastic.”

Luka bit his lip, taking a step from the gate, looking down the street, “Your presence always brightens my day, blondie.”

Adrien laughed, slight beeping heard from his end,“Ugh. Gag me--”

“You into that?”

“You know very well I do not know the answer--”

The other boy laughed, “I’m more than willing to find out--”

He heard the blond snort before mumbling, “You’re ridiculous--”

“Of course, if you’d prefer, I know I would, we could go through all the steps to get there first--” he shut the gate behind him, hesitating slightly, “I’m a little unsure on where you stand on the whole idea, but I really wasn’t kidding when I asked to kiss you last week--” 

The door opened, catching his attention to see the blond smiling, his phone not in sight, “So sorry, what was that? I just assumed you were going to say something lowkey flirty that I could easily dismiss--” he joked, opening his arms to hug him.

Luka shook his head, no, of course he didn’t hear, that would be way too easy. He couldn’t help but laugh as he hugged him back, thankful to see him again, “Nah it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“If you say so--” he pulled back, looking inside as he slid his hand down his arm, grabbing his hand, “Let’s hope Gabriel doesn’t have questions,” he mumbled, tugging him in to shut the door. He looked back to him, holding his finger to his own lips indicating silence before starting up the stairs. Luka could feel his heart pounding, very aware of their contact. He knew Adrien was a very touchy person, but the emphasis he’d made on not touching his hands and his willingness to just hold his definitely had to mean _something_.

“Adrien.”

They’d made it over halfway up the stairs, his name nearly forcing him to stop abruptly before quickly turning to the voice from the bottom, dropping his hand. “Yes, father?”

“Care to explain?”

“Well, this is Luka Couffaine. You two have met before. He’s a good friend of mine, and also, I would like to emphasize, Chloe _and_ Kagami. Whose opinions you should and do trust--” he offered, placing his hands on both of his shoulders, as if presenting him. Unsure what to do in this situation, he waved politely, attempting a smile. He was right in describing his father, claiming he had a ‘constant look of mild disappointment’, and even from halfway up a staircase, his disapproving looming felt to overshadow them.

Gabriel shook his head, clearly irritated, “Adrien, it was frustrating we had to have this discussion before, and it would be unfortunate and honestly quite pitiful if we already need to revisit what we agreed to.”

“I understand, however, it’s Kagami’s last days here and we needed a fourth person--”

He sighed, holding his hand up, silencing the blond, “Very well. He may stay for today,” he paused, studying Luka carefully for a moment before turning back to his office as Nathalie emerged, speaking briefly before disappearing. His energy was so much different than his son’s-- how was it even possible Adrien was related to this man? 

“Sorry--” Adrien mumbled, dropping his hands from his shoulders before continuing up the stairs, the other hesitantly following suit, “Let’s go before he changes his mind.”

“Adrien--” he stopped again, exhaling to keep himself level as he opened the door for Luka, turning to Nathalie’s voice.

“Yes?” he asked, then, quieter, urged him in, “I’ll be right back--” before walking back down the stairs to talk to her patiently waiting. Watching him interact in such a way just brought more emphasis on how much more at ease he was normally away from here. The older boy hesitated, watching as they spoke before they both turned towards the door his father went through, giving him nothing else to watch. 

\---

Chloe looked over when the door closed, Luka waving politely, “Hi--”

“Did Gabriel get to him first?” She shook her head, knowing the answer, “It’s amazing you managed to sneak your way in,” she looked between him and Kagami, who was typing something on her phone, “Gee, really seems like you two really don’t hate each other.”

Not looking up, Kagami shrugged, “It’s reassurance to Adrien, mostly. He can only have one socially disjointed friend at a time, and you’re busy permanently occupying that position right now.”

Socially disjointed was a _choice_ , “Sorry, it’s _your_ girlfriend who won’t allow me back into the social ranks--” she huffed, folding her arms as Luka leaned his guitar against the couch hesitant before sitting on the opposite end as Chloe, Kagami in the chair closest to him.

“No, I think it’s pretty reasonable considering you got upset and just, very willingly betrayed the miraculous. That says more than enough,” she shrugged.

Chloe pressed her lips together. It _was_ shitty, and she knew that, but it felt so defeating no one was willing to consider her attempts at bettering herself. Sick of the topic, she turned to the older boy, “You here to serenade us too? Or is that just an Adrien Agreste special?”

It was enough to make Kagami glance up, “What?”

Luka shook his head, “He asked me to bring it, so I dunno, maybe? If that’s what he wants-- I also have rehearsal later--”

“Right, right. It’s whatever he wants.”

Kagami watched Luka for a second, “It’s a bad idea,” she shook her head, “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not good.”

“I’m not thinking _anything_ \--”

Rolling her eyes, she realized now would be as good a time as any to get to the bottom of _whatever_ the fuck was such a big deal with this punk, “Hey, Adrien was talking about you last week--” Kagami groaned as he looked at her, interested, “Okay your reaction says more than enough. What’s your _deal_ with him? Are you in love with him? Just a fan? Oh hey," she turned to the other girl, "You also dated both Marinette and Adrien, do you have advice? You two actually have so much in common--” she continued, neither of them choosing to interrupt, “That’s a great thing to bond over--”

Ignoring her entirely, Kagami looked to Luka, “It is reassuring to see you after everything. You seem to be doing well.”

He nodded, “Yeah, no, I’m fine now-- honestly I’m better than I was then. I was considering reaching out to Marinette again--” they continued talking pleasantly, which definitely irritated Chloe more than it should’ve. She hated the whole ‘everyone is happy’ ordeal. It felt so _fake_ , so gross. If he was upset enough to _vanish_ for nine months, why the _fuck_ is he now pretending everything was fine. Ugh. She couldn’t understand how they were so tangled up over what? Over who? Marinette Dupain-Cheng? God, what a terrible concept.

“There was definitely a part of me that felt bad, terrible really, but I couldn’t deny Marinette was so much happier with me-- and I was happier with her. I talked to Adrien about it, and assumed she did the same to you--” Kagami explained watching him as Luka nodded.

This was too much, “Okay, but the difference is Adrien never wanted to be with you. Loverboy here sought out Dupain-Cheng--” he blinked at one of the ideas, _something_ she said threw him, “ You two can’t really be relating or even _bonding_ over this--”

They both shrugged, “I mean? We’re not? It’s far from bonding to just acknowledge what happened in an attempt to settle and move on with our lives. I was never mad-- it was a whole misunderstanding-- this seems like an appropriate form of closure on this part of our lives though,” he offered, “Plus you mean a lot to Adrien--”

“Oh, so that’s it.” Luka stared at Chloe in his best attempt to not react. Kagami, on the other hand, laughed, covering her mouth as the door opened, drawing the older boy’s attention away, “What did Gabriel want? Your first born child?”

Adrien laughed, walking over before settling between the two on the couch, “He can’t get me to go on a second date, a child of any kind seems like a bit of a reach, even for him,” he looked at Luka, smiling as he nudged his knee, god this was gross, “Kagami, I have assembled a team for you to completely annihilate in whatever game you choose--”

Sparking definite interest, she sat up, “Fantastic.”

“Is this why we’re here?” Chloe asked in disbelief. It _was_ Thursday, but she would’ve taken a raincheck on a weekly meeting.

“Well it is Thursday, so I had you anyway, and Luka here provides some solid closure in both parts,” he paused, shrugging, “Also I really like him.”

“But not me?” 

“Chlo. I _love_ you.”

She rolled her eyes, “Let’s not get too _Ladybird_ out here--” she mumbled as Adrien smiled, shoving her lightly before turning back to Kagami.

“We definitely-- oh-- that was the movie--” he said a moment later, addressing the other boy, “The one Chloe made us watch on our date--”

Luka shook his head, exhaling a laugh, “How come that’s the part of the night you remember?”

“I would consider it a miracle he made it to your place in one piece, we...did not drink responsibly--” Chloe said, stopping herself when Kagami cleared her throat to redirect their attention back to her.

“Right, sorry-- what game would you like to absolutely destroy us in first?”

\---

After a brief interruption of Adrien wanting to show off his guitar skills-- or lack thereof, especially in contrast to the other instruments he knew, they made their way through a game Chloe didn’t understand too much, but ended quickly. They were now playing some kind of racing game she really couldn’t have cared less about. She never got into video games, making her addition to the group seem more pitiful than intended, but even at that, she surprisingly _wasn’t_ the one losing. Everytime she looked over, Luka was more fascinated by the blond boy next to him than anything on the screen. She caught him for the _third_ time, prompting him to focus only on the game.

“Wow a final attempt at winning--” Adrien teased, coming in fifth.

Luka laughed, “I’m just trying not to bet dead last this time--”

“Hey, I’m not doing much better, but a pro-tip from me to you,” Chloe said, leaning back as she passed the finish line, “It’s much easier if you spend more time looking at the screen than at the other players.”

Kagami, who easily beat the others, shook her head as a knock came from the door, “Come in--” Adrien called, nudging the older boy with his shoulder, “That’s some pretty good advice-- I knew you weren’t the biggest gamer but I didn’t think you needed--” he teased, his face drastically dropping as he looked to Nathalie, who entered, “Is there something else now?”

She nodded curtly, “Adrien, your father wishes to speak to you.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

Chloe watched him inhale in attempt to cool his irritation to the situation, “Okay okay-- well, looks like you’re actually advancing after all,” he smiled briefly, handing the controller to Luka, “I don’t have any expectations--” he joked before standing up, the other’s mouth opening in mild offense, walking to leave, his smile fading quickly. Luka watched the other out of the room before turning back to the screen, the countdown for the next race appearing.

“Aw, but if you got eliminated you could’ve just watched him the entire time--” she teased as the older boy glanced at her, neither confirming or denying her accusation, “I dunno, the way everyone talked about you really made you seem like such a too cool ‘Mister Smooth’-- you’re kinda nothing if we’re being real here. Painfully obvious to the outside eye, and yet still not enough for the pretty model.”

He exhaled a laugh, “Thanks Chloe.”

“I’m going to give you the same advice I gave Adrien years ago, and advice I should’ve listened to as well,” Kagami said, not looking away from the screen, “If it’s not working, change targets.”

Chloe glanced at Luka to witness his response as he shrugged, focusing on the screen, not nearly as intense, “Do you have any other advice you’d be willing to bless me with?”

Jumping in, Chloe shrugged, “I guess that’s like okay advice, but Adrikins here is-- I’m gonna say weird. It depends what you want. Want to get over it? Tell him now. Overwhelm him. Odds are he’ll at least stay your friend. If you want to get on that Agreste train for the long haul, and I mean _long haul_ , wait. Last time I witnessed something close to this, _fuck_ he was hung up for a while. But like. He needs to set the pace, you know? And the pace is going to be wild, as a heads up--” she offered, not looking from the screen.

He bit his lip as Kagami groaned at her advice, “Yes, he needs time, but Adrien isn’t simply dumb to romantic advances, he deliberately shuts them down with varying levels of self-deprecation. Watch out for that. But you’re also going to have to make the first move. He absolutely will not.”

Chloe nodded in agreement, thinking of additional things to add, “Beyond this advice, I am _not_ getting stuck between this, until something happens, I guess. _If_ something happens. Big ‘if’ I genuinely doubt it. But I cannot cross that line again; he just didn’t show up the next week, and during the summer I can’t handle that again. I mean, it was rude and he was upset, but like I only said the truth, what he needed to hear, what he was already thinking.”

The other two glanced at her, not sure what to say, “So are you going to tell us or are we going to complete the scenario based on the clues you’ve laid out?”

She shrugged, attempting to play it off like no big deal after the buildup she created, “I just said that his dad won’t love him more if he stays straight in his eyes.”

Kagami nodded, leaning back in the chair, weighing the truth to her statement, “I couldn’t imagine Gabriel being...human enough to respond to him saying anything regarding that,” she sighed, “As someone who had to come out to someone who I knew would love me regardless, I was still scared? If he admits it to himself, then it becomes real, and from there it would just be more of him justifying himself. I wouldn’t wish to talk about the weather to Gabriel Agreste, much less tell him who I want to fuck.”

The blonde snorted, shaking her head, “I’m so sorry, I already knew it was a shitty situation for him, but _shit_ , you made it so much worse, wording it like that,” she looked at Luka, clearly thinking about what the girls were saying, “But really, it’s not my place. Do what you want, I’m not going to get involved between you two--”

Kagami looked between them, “If you’re in love with Adrien, just tell him. Worse case scenario he says no and the three of us could make a very niche ‘failed with Adrien and Marinette’ group and they could run off together and get married. Have those hamsters she’s so keen of.”

“You two are pretty close, you’d probably at least be included as one of his groomsmen,” the other girl joked, witnessing his face turn pink.

“Fine. Cute. Funny,” he sighed, clearly thinking hard about the possibilities. Adrien talked about Luka a good deal, but she wasn’t going to dare bring up the potential, she was trying hard not to cross that line again. Plus if Adrien were to come out, that would be such a great distraction if she wanted to get around to it as well. The three of them fell back to a silence as they continued their game, Luka doing significantly better with his absence.

“What’d I miss?” the blond said in a form of an announcement, opening the door, a clear indication he did not want to address what his father wanted, making his way towards them.

“Well first of all, Luka wasn’t entirely embarrassing, so I’d say I was right--” Chloe shrugged as he sat down, watching her, “We were talking about your absolute favorite thing--” Kagami quickly looked at her, shaking her head slightly. Fuck. Internally rolling her eyes, she knew the other girl was right, it was far from her place to say something, even in the most teasing sense, “F...friendship--” did that work at _all_?

Amused, Adrien smiled, “Okay? What about?”

“Yeah-- who would your groomsmen be? Bam, wedding right now, who’s there?”

Overwhelmed by the question, he laughed, “Who am I marrying?”

Not believing the potential implication, she snapped her head to look at him, also piquing interest in the other two, “Does that _change_ your answer?”

He hesitated, “No, I guess not. Nino for sure, Luka, definitely, if it’s my wedding the groomsmen don’t necessarily need to be men right?”

“Yeah, sure, I don’t care, I already got the information I wanted,” she leaned forward to look around to the other, “See what I mean, Lu-Lu?”

“Yeah _, no._ That nickname died _years_ ago hand-in-hand with my first relationship. You’ve gotta be more creative if you’re going to sneak in something like that,” he shook his head before looking to Adrien, biting his lip, clearly amused “What?”

“ _Lu-Lu_ \--” 

He pressed his lips together, “Still a no for you too blondie, you’ve already got a nickname for me--” 

“ _Fine_ \--” he sighed dramatically before looking around him, “Kagami-- what now?”

She looked over to him, “Adrien, you’re expecting me to fill the next three days you want to spend with me. I do not care what we do next, I just don’t want to be alone,” she glanced between the three of them, “We could watch a movie, or possibly continue planning this wedding for Adrien just in case--”

“I don’t know why me getting married is such a hot topic for everyone recently-- I’m basically still a _child_.”

Chloe shook her head, “People often want what they can’t have.”

“Wasn’t that your same philosophy that landed you here with Adrien being your only friend?” Luka asked, definitely more ready to snap right back, fueled by Kagami laughing.

“You’re _not_ one to talk--” 

“Hey now-- _yes_ \--” the blond laughed looking between his friends. He _had_ to realize he was the sole connecting piece, under no other circumstances would they ever willingly hang out, “Luka has other friends-- _apparently_ \--” Adrien laughed again as he shoved him lightly, “But we’ve gotta evaluate how it’s going, surely things are better,” he offered. She stared at him. He knew it wasn’t, “With Kagami gone, and Luka’s refusal to come back for a final go at collège--” he bit back a laugh, looking at Luka, who clearly couldn’t deny that statement, “You’ve still got. Well, me.”

The four of them got quiet, trying to recall who else had even given her the time of day in the past year, “Alix…?”

“Well she--”

“They--” Adrien cut in.

“Right, sorry-- they at least acknowledge me, I wouldn’t say we’re on...friendly terms,” Chloe said slowly, cautiously aware of each word-- he was always so on top of catching the pronouns.

Kagami shrugged, “That seems like as much as you can ask for right now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. ‘ _Growth takes time_ ’” she said in a mocking voice, “Thanks, therapy, it’s been nearly two years have I grown _at all_ yet?” 

Adrien shook his head, “It’s reassuring to sometimes hear the old Chloe, so I know you haven’t just been like, akumatized this whole time.”

“If my redemption arc was in any way part of a Hawkmoth plan, I would be equal parts surprised at what a bad and ineffective route it is, and kinda annoyed it isn’t working better,” Chloe shook her head, “Then again, you are the only one I’ve successfully gotten close to, so…” 

“I don’t think Hawkmoth would use Adrien as a target,” Kagami observed, “He’s always protected in some way--”

“You’ve never been akumatized either, have you?” Luka asked, clear he knew the answer.

“Well someone’s gotta balance out people who have gotten akumatized _multiple times_ ,” he sat up, looking at each of them before shaking his head, “But back to Hawkmoth ‘protecting’ me-- one time I got turned into that dumb glitter statue, I was imprisoned _twice_ , and more importantly, I was _thrown off a building._ ” 

“You jumped.”

“Definitely jumped--” the girls said at the same time as Chloe continued, “There are just better long term akumatizations he could go for. A teenage girl wanting to better herself doesn’t seem very Hawkmoth-ish. He’d go with something more...dramatic?”

“No. He’s proven he has _zero_ standards--”

“Pidgeon man.”

“Literally a child wanting a popsicle.”

She groaned, draping her arm over her face, “Ugh, you know what, nevermind. Fuck Hawkmoth. The end.”

Kagami laughed, “At least we can agree on one thing,” she looked over to Adrien, “Was the movie good? The one Chloe made you watch?”

“Honest? Super honest? I have no idea. I-- ow--” he winced, rubbing his arm from where she hit him, “What? Did you want me to say, ‘yeah, super great movie. Great lighting and analysis of the human condition’? I don’t _remember_ what it was even about.”

“I think we should watch it,” Kagami said, folding her arms and tucking her feet under herself, completely ignoring their altercation.

“Yeah? Chill--” Adrien grabbed his controller before scooting over slightly, laying down to rest his head on the older boy's lap, causing him to look at Chloe in an almost disbelief over her advice. She shrugged, not retracting her words as he continued, “It’s a good movie, and honestly I don’t remember most of it--”

Kagami nodded, “Alya mentioned it too, and it does not seem like the type she normally enjoys--”

“Nah, she likes the whole action and horror ones,” the blond said, not looking from the screen as he began to flip through the movies to find it, “And like, the gruesome horror ones-- and then proceeds to analyze the plot, it’s something else.”

Chloe watched as Luka began gently twisting his fingers through his blond hair, prompting him to glance at him, smiling. Disgusting. She shook her head, no, her friend’s happiness wasn’t bad or gross or anything like that. But it was...weird? The fucking courage he had, choosing to press forwards with his plans as if their advice meant nothing to him, “Not to bring up such a touchy subject in this group,” she said, looking between the three others, “This little unofficial ‘I fell in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and allowed her to completely ruin my life’ club--”

“Okay--” Adrien sat up, “I did no such thing, and at the very least you’re also included in this.”

Chloe’s mouth opened, “ _I_ have done no such--”

“You can relate to the ‘ruin your life’ bit at least.” Luka defended, smiling as Adrien layed back down head in his lap, continuing his search.

“He’s right.” Kagami nodded.

“Okay, but I’m doing better now--”

“Oh, and we’re not?” Luka asked, amused as the blond laughed.

She eyed him, “You’ve spent way too much time with Adrien,” she shook her head as he shrugged, returning to gently stroking his hair, “I guess we’re all doing great, but stop it-- I had a real question I’ve been meaning to ask. When the _fuck_ did she start going by Mari?”

The boys looked at each other, “I think I heard Alya call her that like once or twice while we were dating, but it wasn’t a thing until after we broke up. Maybe when I was gone?”

“I only did it because I heard Alya call her it--”

Kagami shook her head, “Yeah, it happened after you two were done, but you do know _why_ , right?” they watched her expectantly, “Alya used to call her that but it was just a thing she could do. But then Adrien called her that like _once_. And now it’s preferred.”

“Really?” he said, surprised, “Didn’t know I had such an effect on people.”

“Oh, you do.” Luka said, still playing with his hair, not looking away.

Chloe and Kagami both looked at them before each other, making sure they were witnessing the same thing, “Gross, okay, but also, it’s her. You could've called her a dead skunk and she would’ve legally changed her name.”

“I’m not going to try that--”

“Adrien, you’ve gone past the movie three times now,” Kagami interrupted, “Are you intentionally doing that or are you really just not paying attention--”

Sitting back up, he shook his head, “Sorry sorry, I was thinking about Mari--” Chloe watched Luka for a reaction, which he didn’t provide, “I’m just surprised you two aren’t going to try long distance--” he selected the movie, looking to her, “You two really made each other happy.”

She exhaled, not wanting to get too into it, “Marinette suggested it, but apparently I know her better than she knows herself. She has so much going on, she needs someone physically with her or she’ll actually just forget.” Luka inhaled, as if holding back on saying something, “I love her, don’t get that wrong, and we might try again in the future, but for right now it’s what’s best.”

\---

The sun had begun to set, giving Luka a good idea as to what time it was, indicating he had to get going. The movie was nearly half over, more than enough time for Adrien to get comfortable, nestled against him, tucked under his arm draped over his shoulder. His arms were crossed, head against Luka’s chest as he watched the movie intently, a good indication he really didn’t remember much else from that night. He wanted to wrap his arms around his waist, pull him into his lap and just hold him for hours, but reality was often a little disappointing, “Hey hey-- I gotta head out--” Luka said, nudging the blond, who sat up, “I’ve got rehearsal soon--”

“Oh yeah--” Adrien nodded, blinking back to the present, “Lemme grab your sweatshirt--”

Chloe looked over as Adrien stood up, “You’re not expecting a sort of hug or anything, right?” He shook his head, not from her, at least, “Oh thank god. It doesn’t even feel justifiable to say bye because with this bitch--” which granted an offended ‘ _hey!’_ from the other room, “It’s likely I’ll see you tomorrow or something, regardless if I want to.”

He shrugged, grabbing his guitar to place it in his case, zipping it up, “You don’t seem too offended by me.”

“I’m holding off on an opinion right now.”

Kagami didn’t move, watching him sling his case over his shoulder. She didn’t need to say anything; they both knew and accepted the past was far behind them, and everything had the potential to work out in everyone’s benefit, “I hope you’re able to come back soon.”

She smiled, not at him, but definitely at the idea, “Tell Ladybug and Chat Noir to hurry it up then.”

“Yeah, they gotta find what, one guy? What’s taking them so long?” Adrien joked, walking up to him to hand him his sweatshirt, folded nicely, “Pass the message they should hurry up-- preferably by Sunday. You know them, right?”

“Oh we’ve met--” he teased back.

Adrien laughed, “Right, okay,” he smiled, watching him a moment before looking back to the girls, as if aware of his existence in the situation, “Hey do you want me to like, walk you to you out or--?”

“He’s not even the one leaving, are you going to fly me all the way home as a bye--”

Adrien opened his mouth in mild defense, smiling as the other two laughed, “I’m going to the airport with you at _least_ \--” he said, following him out, tapping his shoulders in encouragement to go, “I’ll be right back, I’m being a good host--” he opened the door for him, following closely behind, “Shhh…” he said, peering down the stairs to check if it was clear before nudging his arm, quickly heading down. 

Once outside, Luka looked at him, his face relaxing significantly. The fact he was so tense in his own house made him unreasonably upset; he wanted him to be at ease and loved and able to be himself wherever he was. A goal for the future, he supposed.

“Well now you’re a little bit more aware of why I choose to sneak out--” he said, shutting the door behind them to face him, “An informal greeting to the Agreste house--” he smiled, “I can’t wait to not live here anymore--”

“I wasn’t kidding about you living on the Liberty with me--” he smiled as the blond laughed, a nice indication he still thought he was kidding.

Adrien shook his head, “I love the idea, don’t get me wrong, just seems a little… unrealistic for everything going on in my life. It’s a whole--” he waved his hand, dismissing the idea, looking back to him, “I think spending every waking moment with you seems a bit more realistic for the time being.”

_Fuck_ he really liked him, but the girls knew him well, “Should I assume you’re spending the next few days with Kagami and shouldn’t expect you too soon?” 

Rocking back on his heels he smiled, “Yeah, Mari’s been gone this past week and is back tomorrow-- and she’s leaving on Sunday--” his face dropped, “Sorry it doesn’t really feel real yet--” 

Luka nodded, offering his arms in a hug, which he immediately took, wrapping tight around his neck, making him wonder if this was going to be the event that broke his crying streak, “It’s okay, I’ll be here for you when you need a distraction or a hug or a song-- I’ll give you a kidney if you need--” he smiled as he felt the other laugh before tightening his hold as Luka gave him a squeeze. 

“Okay okay, sorry--” he pulled back, exhaling, “Believe it or not, Kagami and Chloe are not the biggest fans of hugging and you spoil me--” he smiled softly, “You should get to rehearsal. I’ll see you...eventually? I swear I’ll be less sad next week--”

He nodded, “It’s fine to be sad, but I can’t deny I love to see you smile.”

“Well maybe that’s why I find myself smiling more with you--” he exhaled a laugh, taking a step back, “I should let you go. Sorry for earlier this week, life is in constant chaos, you know how it goes--”

“You can still reach out to me in chaos if you want.”

Adrien hesitated before laughing, “Okay, yeah. Okay. You should go to your band, I should go back to check on them-- I know alone they’re still not the biggest fans of each other, but believe it or not it’s gotten a lot better.”

He laughed, not really believing him, “Fine fine, see you later blondie--” he offered a slight wave before heading down the steps, glancing back up at the bottom to the other, who smiled back. A lot of information had been thrown at him today, and he just had to sort through it, determine what parts he should-- not necessarily what he wanted to-- listen to. Shutting the gate behind him, he smiled a last time as the blond waved a final time, the front door closing. He could play the patience game for him. For Adrien it would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes I think about how characters would interact, especially if they've never met in canon, and I always end up going back to the theory that basically claims Nino and Luka are the same person and I just. can't.
> 
> i didn't wanna just hit 100k i felt the urge to just completely bypass it altogether
> 
> chapter 37 will be out in a more timely manner I promise I promise.
> 
> as always, thanks for reading


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catnaps, massages, and love languages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentines day!!!  
> it's August, so it's not a v-day one, but I'd argue it's kinda fitting~

August -3-

Adrien had, once again, fallen asleep across Luka’s lap, originally talking before he drifted off, leaving Luka alone with his thoughts. He’d come over as a distraction from, as he said, ‘the chaos of life’, wanting to talk about ‘anything that didn’t really matter’, more than okay for Luka, who was beyond appreciative of his surprise visit. The blond had made it nearly an hour before passing out, one arm draped over his forehead in attempt to shield the sun, a few pillows behind his head, and his right hand resting on his stomach. The August heat had them both wearing less clothing, making a small part of him wonder why so much touching was an appropriate pastime but most of him was more than okay with it.

These little catnaps would never last too long, so he never felt the urge to wake him from his slumber, giving him time to just enjoy his existence. He had to look at the silver lining that implied Adrien likely felt safe with him-- wasn’t that also a cat thing? This wasn’t something that was happening when they first started hanging out, meaning this was definitely earned trust. Biting his lip, he moved his hand ever so slightly, his fingertips brushing the side of his hand as he watched his chest rise and fall, his breathing matching with his. 

He continued his gaze downwards, noticing his ring on his half clenched hand. Well, he’d noticed it before, but always got distracted by something else, most of the time, him. The ring was silver, not the most minimal, with a face that looked unintentionally empty. Luka really couldn’t think of a time when he _wasn’t_ wearing it--

Now, he’d never _seen_ Chat’s ring disguised, but, assuming it was similar to his bracelet or Mari’s earrings, he would assume it to look just like his. God, he had to stop making comparisons to him-- yeah, he might admit he had a _type_ but it was getting ridiculous. But what if that _wasn’t_ it?

 _Wow,_ that was a wild assumption-- he laughed under his breath at the idea-- that _Adrien_ , sprawled across his lap was the same hero he’d fallen for _years_ ago. His mind was definitely jumping to conclusions-- he probably had his own reasons for it, likely sentimental value-- it could be a family thing, for one, especially with his mother’s passing. Rich families always had their thing with heirlooms, and Adrien wasn’t that big on speaking about his family’s past. Curiosity getting the better of him, he took his hand, gently opening his fingers to see the ring better, startling him as he woke, ripping his hand back. Realizing where he was, he immediately calmed down, “Heck yo, I’m so sorry.”

Luka laughed, throwing his hands up, “No, don’t be. I should’ve realized that was going to be a big no-no, sorry. Won’t happen again.”

“Oh gee--” he rubbed his face, “Why’d ya let me fall asleep?”

“Well,” Luka shrugged, watching him, “You were tired.”

He stretched his arms over his head, shirt riding up, exposing his skin, “Yeah, but we were talking and I was laying on you. Plus it’s really so hot…” he pushed himself up, swinging his legs to hang down, hunching his shoulders to stretch the other way.

“I can’t emphasize enough that I really do not mind.”

Laughing, he glanced at him before shaking his head, “Okay,” he twisted to the side, “Is seventeen too young to have back problems?”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Luka said, amused as he continued to try and hit the exact spot bothering him, “Do you want help with that?”

“No I’m--” he sighed, collapsing back on the couch, looking at him as he moved the pillows, “Maybe later—” he smiled before extending his arm, admiring his ring, “You were interested?”

He nodded, hesitating before taking his hand in his, very aware of how his fingers curled slightly around his, “You’re just always wearing it. It must be special.”

“Yeah, it was my mom’s-- well her side of the family,” _ah_ , “It’s a nice reminder that at least one of my parents loved me at some point,” he said jokingly, “I’m kidding, maybe my father did at one point too--”

Luka watched him a moment before smiling, he was definitely reading way too far into this, “It’s just clear it means something to you. When it gets too hot I can’t help but just take them all off,” he gestured to his empty arms, save for his miraculous, “I mean I have to keep this one on—”

”Mine are entirely voluntary,” the blonde smirked, and arguably flirtatiously, “I suppose I have more self control, _Luka_.”

He felt his face burn through the summer heat. Oh no. Oh _no no no_ . Something really was happening. Something about his presence just brought ease and peace to him. Something about his bright emerald eyes full of genuine passion and his fluffy blond hair that was nearly grown back to normal and his dumb stupid grin when he knew he was being smart just had his heart partaking in a race he didn’t sign up for. Something about this punk had Luka feeling so many things, but he was in way too deep with _the_ Adrien Agreste. It was obvious he was the one with self control because it took every ounce of it not to kiss him on the spot, “I suppose so.”

Adrien’s face softened, looking carefully at him, fingers subconsciously intertwining with his, “Hey you know what?”

His heart skipped, a little dash of adrenaline rushing at the potential of what he was going to say, “No, what?”

He definitely leaned closer, faces just inches apart, “You’d look real good with a nose ring.”

Letting go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, he smiled, “Huh, you think?”

“Yeah, I think,” he changed his gaze towards his ears, littered with piercings, “Which one hurt the most?”

His right hand, not holding Adrien’s, instinctively went to his ear, “Well, I’d say the industrial, but it’s really only because there’s two holes instead of one,” he turned his head to show his right ear, “I have studs in right now, they’re the top two,” he pointed then turned his head, “But for a single, I’d say my daith--” still with his right hand, pointed to his other ear, a matte black hoop adorn with a small blue bead.

Adrien leaned in close, admiring the pieces with the utmost fascination, “There are certainly a few piercings I want.”

“Well when you go, I’d love to be there with you,” he continued to play with his fingers, intending it to be subconscious but really placing so much thought into it. It had to mean _something_ , being allowed to be the exception, “It’s fun, really. I’ve seen you with your ears, but do you have anything else pierced? Any hidden piercings?”

“Sorry, no-- I got my ears a long time ago for a shoot, every once in a while someone remembers and actually utilizes it. Mari told me she’s very excited for it and can’t wait. I’d get more, but I’ve got some legally binding contracts I’ve gotta wait to expire,” he shrugged, pulling away to lean back next to him. He stretched his arms over his head, his shirt once again riding up, exposing his skin, before slouching as he braced his foot on the coffee table, “But when it’s all out of the way, it’s a date.”

“A date, huh?” the idea began leading him to a potentially dangerous path. Oh he _wished_ \-- but knew he had to wait-- he was beyond ready to invest his everything into the blond, however long it would take. He knew what he wanted, but still had to figure out if he felt the same, if he could possibly feel the same. Friendship was as much as he could ask for right now, and he was content, but still craved him more, and the answer whether or not he’d ever feel the same. Every time he thought he was close to a solid answer, he’d spit out something to make him question. So easily he could just ask and get an answer of some kind-- “Hey you know what?”

Resting his hands on top of his head, he lazily looked over, “What?”

He opened his mouth, hesitating slightly-- he couldn’t just say something so transparently, but with his attention he had to say _something_ , “You’d look really good in a crop top.”

He laughed, “So you think crop tops should be my new look? Get all of Paris on the hype train?” Luka nodded, half shrugging, “You know, if you wanted me to wear less clothing, you could’ve just asked.” Adrien brought his face closer, almost inspecting him, “Is that what you want? Is _that_ your hidden agenda?”

Luka felt his face burn again. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck_ . He was falling _hard_ ; he had to keep his cool together for a bit longer, “Would my answer change yours?” he teased, watching him for a second before quickly adding, “I just think you’d look good.”

He examined his face a minute longer before grinning, pulling away as he leaned back on the couch. “I’ll give it a go. Just for you.”

“Just for me, I’m so honored--”

Watching almost for a reaction, the blond bit back a smile before looking up to the sky, “I would do a lot more drastic things for you.”

Luka smiled, choosing not to read too into that as he shifted to face him more, “Hey, I’ve got a real question.” 

“Ask away.”

“What’s your deal with falling asleep on me?”

Adrien smiled, tucking his hands under his legs, “Sorry, if that’s what you’re after-- I typically stay up late because it’s the best time to just be myself. More so during the school year, I rarely have time alone, my father just loves to pack my schedule, you’ll see how little I visit then. But at night I could just, do whatever,” he shrugged, “Nothing’s stopping me-- they don’t check to see if I’m sleeping because they don’t actually care about my well being, they just want to control me, make sure I’m where I need to be. There’s a lot of time at night to do what you want, when the whole city is asleep. So I stay up. Sneak out, you know, anything but sleep. I’ve always been a little jealous of you heroes, able to sit on rooftops and see it all--” he glanced at him, “But I wouldn’t know now would I?”

Luka clicked his tongue, watching the blond stare back at him carefully, “No, of course,” that was...no of _course_ . He couldn’t think too much on this, they were coincidences-- nothing was-- but what if it _wasn’t_? “Do you want to tell me something, blondie?”

“Not yet--” he paused, leaning the slightest bit closer, “Don’t worry about it. But-- I don’t sleep a lot-- that’s the main point I was making. And I guess I trust you enough to take a lil nap on you. I do it to Nino all the time if he leaves me alone a little too long-- and I mean like two minutes is too long.”

He nodded, watching him, _not yet?_ Luka was definitely reading way too much into these comments he was making. But what if-- he found admitting this to himself to be significantly harder than he’d expect-- what if Adrien _was_ Chat Noir? He bit his lip, trying not to laugh-- this was _ridiculous_ . Yeah, they had a lot in common, but it wasn’t-- Adrien was so busy there was no possible way he could’ve also been saving Paris between it all. Luka was definitely staring at him, trying to figure this out-- this was _insane--_ stretching these coincidences to reason his attraction to the blond was getting kinda pathetic. The most basic layer of logic could easily dispute the idea--

“Hey you were offering a massage earlier--” the blond said quickly, clearly wanting to shift the topic, “Was that real or just a way to fill time?”

Luka hesitated before exhaling a laugh. Chat had already given him an answer, and this blond was definitely worth waiting on an answer for. He had to stop wasting his time thinking about the hero when he literally had Adrien _right here_ , “Yeah? Isn’t it a little warm to be all touchy-touchy? Aren’t you the one opposed to being touched in these conditions?”

“I’m just saying, you’re the one who offered--” he laughed, “It’s okay, you can say no-- it’s not a foreign concept to me--”

But he didn’t _want_ to say no-- he _should_ say no-- “No, come here--” he stood, gesturing for him to lay down, “Please, I insist--” 

Adrien studied him a moment, as if making sure he was serious before smiling, laying down on his stomach, “Since you _insist_ \--”

Luka laughed, not just at him, but what he’d gotten himself into. So easily he could’ve said no, and continued on their conversation, but he didn’t-- and he didn’t _want_ to. He watched the other settle in, crossing his arms to rest his face, closing his eyes before beginning to knead his back, unsure what to even do. It had been a hot second since he’d done this to someone, but could tell almost immediately how tight his back was, “Hey, what did you do to yourself?”

“What didn't I do? I don’t remember from a shoot, so fencing I guess? You thinking I have that level of awareness in my life is wild,” he mumbled as he dug his thumbs into his back, “God, just go for it, don’t hold back--”

“Oh, does blondie like it rough?” He teased, using his knuckles down his spine as Adrien laughed into his arm, shaking his head before reaching back to playfully shove his leg, “I’m going to take that as a maybe-- unless we wanna--”

“You shouldn’t be making the person you’re massaging laugh--” he said, as if justifying his reaction, pushing himself to look at him, face definitely flushed, likely, he assumed, from the laughing, “It’s supposed to be a calming thing--”

Luka nodded, “Right, right, of course--” the blond watched him another moment before resettling himself. Unsure how to process that interaction, he dove right back in, bracing his knee on the couch to use his weight, working his way down. His hands felt so right on him, so easily he could get addicted to making him feel good-- no, nope, not a thought he should allow himself to get into. A chunk of time passed in silence and Luka was fully anticipating the other to just pass out entirely, “You doing okay? You’re so quiet--”

He exhaled a laugh, stretching his back slightly, “Sorry, not sure what else to say? Do you want me to moan?”

Taken back, he felt his face darken-- he really could _not_ get into that mindset, “I’m not going to answer that--” he said quietly as Adrien laughed harder, pushing himself up to look back at him, “What?”

“I think we both know this massage is over--” he joked, watching him as he sat up. Luka didn’t know if it was his own mind being hopeful or if the blond had definitely been flirting with him _all_ day. That was ridiculous-- of course it was his mind, “Thanks though, you’re real good with your hands.”

“If you’re ever interested in the other things they can do don’t hesitate to ask--” Probably not what he should’ve said, but flirting came so naturally with him, it was more a conscious effort to _not_ at this point.

The blond bit back a laugh, “Like what?”

“I...” he stared at him a moment, taken back with his fast response, was he really playing into it? “Play guitar for one… what were _you_ thinking?”

Adrien pressed his lips together in attempt to not laugh or smile, not looking away as he sat back down next to him, “That’s exactly what I was thinking--”

“Yeah, okay, blondie--” he joked as the other playfully shoved him. How did he just _not_ \--

He looked at him, “So what else is on the agenda today?”

“Hm…” he leaned back on the couch, looking at him carefully, “I was planning on re-painting my nails sometime today--”

“Yeah, I was gonna say they’re naked-- it’s weird to see--” he smiled as Luka laughed, “So what’s stopping you?” 

He shrugged, “I guess I can--”

“Don’t let _me_ stop you,” he watched him a moment, “I really liked that blue from last week, but I’m also a sucker for your black-- your choice, I’d say--”

Smiling, he stood up, “Trying to live vicariously through me?”

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say yes-- it was short lived, but I really enjoyed how it made me feel-- kinda powerful, I guess?” He laughed, watching him walk towards the stairs, “I liked it-- maybe one day in the far out future we can try that again.”

Luka smiled, excited at the possibility of being with him in the _far out future_ , “Yeah, we absolutely can, blondie.”

\---

He returned a few minutes later to the blond sitting in the chair, deeply invested in something he was reading on his phone. His feet were tucked under himself, his one arm crossed and a slight pout on his face, eyebrows furrowed slightly. Adrien’s look of concentration wasn’t an aspect he expected to be so appealing to him, but everytime he saw it he couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be going through his head. Sitting back down next to him, the other hardly glancing up from what he was so interested in. A few minutes passed as Luka settled in, balancing the bottle on his knee as he worked his way to each of his fingers. It had been a bit since they just existed silently, invested in their own thing, an occurrence much more frequent when he first started visiting, more recently they would talk about anything and everything. Both were so nice.

“Hey. Question.”

“Hm?” he asked, not looking up from his hands.

“Would you say I’m ‘approachable’?”

Luka laughed, glancing at him, “Yes, I’d say so.”

“Cool cool,” he mumbled, not looking up from his phone, whatever he was reading. He was always so present, Luka really didn’t feel too bothered by whatever he was doing. A few more minutes passed before mumbling something else incoherent, setting his phone to the side, “You know about the love languages, right?”

 _Oh_. “Blondie, I’m a romantic sap, of course I know them--” he smiled, screwing the lid back on the bottle, setting it on the table, “There’s quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, gift giving, and acts of service.”

“Look at you, loverboy.” he teased, folding his arms, “Well Kagami mentioned something about it, and I brought it up to Nino, and he sent me some quizzes-- I was curious,” he shrugged, watching him, “Based on them, he actually guessed right--”

“Wait, can I guess?” he asked.

Adrien opened his mouth before smiling, “Yeah, sure. Analyze me.”

He exhaled a laugh, holding his hands to dry, “Quality time, for sure and I’d say physical touch too,” the blond leaned closer, as if inspecting him, causing him to laugh again, “What?”

“Am I really that predictable?”

Luka smiled, not looking away, “Can’t deny I haven’t spent a good bit of time considering-- but also have spent a good bit of time with you-- and assume you like me a fair amount--” the blond smiled sheepishly before shrugging, “And if touch _wasn’t_ included I would encourage you to take a different test--”

“Okay okay--” he laughed before biting his lip, “I like existing with people I enjoy.”

“Aw, blondie likes me~” he joked, receiving a light shove, “Okay, so what did you get? Was I right?”

He pressed his lips together, nodding, “Yeah-- my top two were quality time and physical touch-- I really didn’t think the touch thing was such a _thing_. But yeah. Looks like you’ve got me pegged.”

“Oh, we pegging now?”

He hesitated, “No. Don’t know what that is, but no--”

Luka laughed, amused, “You’re learning. So what do you think I am?”

Adrien studied him, propping his elbow on the back of the couch to look at him better, “Hm. Wait--do you know?” he asked, kicking his legs over his lap.

“Yes. And also-- did you not think physical touch was a big thing in your life?” he asked, gesturing to his legs, “You fell asleep on me _today_ \-- and at least three times in July. You’re comforted by touch. It’s cute.”

Feeling called out, his face darkened slightly, “I wasn’t denying it-- don’t forget the whole _touch starved_ thing--” he defended, laughing, causing Luka to smile. If he was comfortable with it, Luka was more than willing to make sure he’d never be deprived in such a way ever again, “What I was thinking is that your primary love language is quality time, but your doing is words of affirmation.”

He nodded, “We’ve really spent a lot of time together recently, huh.”

“Well I’ve gotta say that makes sense--” he looked to the other, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really like you-- you’re probably my best friend.”

Luka studied him a moment before smiling, “Hey quick question-- how many people do you call your best friend?” 

His mouth opened in offense, shaking his head, “Right now it’s just you who matters.”

He bit back a laugh, “Fine, that’s fair. You’re definitely my best friend,” the blond smiled his same stupid smile-- noticably similar to Chat’s-- he could _not_ let his mind go there, “Hey-- do you still do those piano covers?”

The topic clearly surprised him, “Yes, indeed I do. How do you know about them? You definitely don’t follow that account.”

“I definitely do not. I definitely do not have an instagram. But Nino would show me a few back when we used to hang out--” If you ever posted a new one he would show me on the spot. It was sweet.”

Adrien grinned, “God I love Nino,” he sat a moment, staring off, thinking about his friend, “No, wait, you should get an insta. You could be like Nino and just have a private one-- you don’t even need to post. Join the select few who get to follow the private life of _the_ Adrien Agreste.”

Luka laughed at his pitch, “This is the closest to peer pressure I think I’ve ever gotten in my entire life.”

“Is it working?” he asked, leaning closer.

Yes, absolutely. “I’m very intrigued and I’ll let it be known this would take a lot more convincing if you were _anyone_ else.”

“I suppose I just have that charm on people,” he teased, watching him as he stared back, “But hey, hey. Let’s make this account for you,” he leaned forward, grabbing his phone for him, placing it in his hand, “I’ve been re-doing old ones because some were just _terrible_ when I started.”

He nodded, “Okay, I found them to be really quite impressive,” he said, typing into his phone, “You’ve always been a beautiful pianist, Adrien.”

The blond watched him a moment before shrugging, leaning against the back of the couch, “Thanks,” he mumbled, exhaling a laugh, glancing at him. Luka offered a slight smile as he stared back, his green eyes practically intensified in the afternoon sun. God what he wouldn’t do to just exist like this, with him forever. It was comfortable, it felt right, but oh so exciting with potential, “Hey--” he smiled softly, nudging his hand holding his phone to get his attention, “You want to see them--”

Luka bit his lip, laughing as he looked back to his phone, “Yeah, yeah--”

A few minutes passed in silence as he continued setting up his account, before the blond spoke again, head resting on his arm as he stared at a spot beyond his feet, “Hey, you’ve mentioned some things, but like, what did you really do those nine months you were gone?”

Not looking up, he shrugged, “What didn’t I do? We have family all over Europe-- my mother has seven siblings and only one of them stayed in France. But even beyond that, I met a lot of people. Tried a lot of things. Went hiking a lot,” he paused, typing, “Why?”

“I want to know absolutely everything about you.”

Finally looking up, he felt his face flush, the blond watching him in close proximity, completely unbothered, “That’s a lot.”

Adrien laughed slightly, watching him, “Too much?”  
“No, no, no-- I just wasn't expecting it,” he could feel his heart racing at the potential implication of the statement, “Don’t we know each other well?”

He sighed, “I suppose. It’s weird, I just wanna know you more.”

“So you want to know _everything_?”

“Well,” his eyes flickered down, “Yeah.”

“You say these big things without a care in the world. I don’t get it,” Luka said, very aware of what he was suggesting, “For someone who cares a lot you like to pretend you don’t quite often--”

“Do you have a problem with it?” His head tilted slightly to the side, reminding him of the hero-- god _fuck_ , “I can tone my interest back if that’s what you’d prefer. But what was that deal we had about not censoring ourselves?” he teased, “Sorry, I just know once school starts again I won’t be able to spend like any time with you,” he paused, “I just-- I kinda want to just know everything that’s made you, well, you.”

He shook his head, biting back a smile, “Well if you stick around you’re going to start living through these life events with me and I won’t need to retell them,” he suggested, turning his phone towards him.

The blond smiled, looking at him, “I suppose so, but until then we can play a fun game of catch up,” he took his phone, both hesitating a moment before he looked down at the screen, “Congrats? You did it-- what--”

“Thanks, wasn’t hard--” he laughed at his confusion, “Let me follow you?”

“Oh right,” he flashed one of his grins, typing quickly, “Oh, oh, I’ll have you follow Chlo too-- what’s her name…” he looked at him, thinking, “Right. not... the...queen...bee--” he said, typing it out, “She’s been using it more, but not a lot of people want her knowing their business.”

Luka shrugged, taking his phone back as the other picked his up to confirm his request, “Not who you think?” he read, “Oh that’s not suspicious in the slightest.”

“Hey. I would actually disintegrate on the spot if my father- or fans, even, found this account. It’s private and I only have twenty followers for a reason. You should consider yourself lucky.”

“Trust me, I do--” he tapped on the other’s profile, “Blondie, you have over 700 posts--” Adrien shrugged, “I know what I’m going to be doing tonight.”

“I’ve got another I’ve been meaning to post--” he said, glancing at his phone, “Is it really this late? I guess time flies when you’re having fun--” he joked as Luka smiled, locking his phone.

Setting it to his side, Luka looked back to him, “I thought time didn’t even exist?”

He opened his mouth, shifting to a smile before laughing, “Okay, yeah-- it _doesn’t_ , but if it did, pretend, hypothetically--” he hesitated, watching for a moment, “I just wish it would work in our favor, be on our side for once.”

The older boy nodded slowly, “I get that. Maybe one day it will be,” Adrien smiled at that idea, definitely more than enough to fuel this delusion something could happen, “So you need to go now?”

“I’ve got a Mandarin lesson to get to--” he groaned before looking at him, “Could I interest you in going for me? Please? I swear, just wear a hat, no one will notice--”

Luka laughed, “I think my inability to say _anything_ would be a dead giveaway--”

“I think it’s worth a try-- please? Luka…” he half whined, laughing as he shook his head.

He clicked his tongue, “Okay, pretend this did happen-- and your dad-- he’s not a fan of me, I think that’s safe to say-- I don’t think it would end well for _either_ of us.”

Adrien hesitated, pressing his lips together, “I guess so… I’d really hate for something bad to happen to you, and knowing my father...ugh...” he groaned, running his hands through his hair before falling back on the couch, invoking laughter from Luka, who placed his hands reassuringly on his leg closer to him.

“I believe in you, blondie.”

Mumbling something incoherent, he shook his head, “Thanks,” he sighed, “Can’t we just exist without the constraints of normal life and time and like everything else for a bit? A bit being maybe forever? A nice break from it all? Being with you is the closest I can seem to get to it.”

It was definitely a reassurance the blond felt the same in one aspect of their relationship. Luka smiled at his proposed idea, “Yeah, that sounds nice.” He watched him for a moment, shifting his one hands ever so slightly up his thigh, barely noticeable. Love languages were already considered in his interactions with him, but maybe his sudden interest in it meant he was going to consider the same with him. This was reading into his actions way more than he ought to be, something he’d already proven led to insane theories. Pushing his luck, he moved up a little bit more, enough for Adrien to react, sitting up abruptly, “Oh, sorry--”

“What?” he asked, genuine confusion as he swung his legs, “I’ve gotta get going--” he smiled, “I’m thinking I’ll be back--” he hesitated, considering his life obligations, “Felix is visiting, so I dunno. Maybe I’ll be able to sneak out and see you, but we’ll see,” he smiled, studying his face again, “I really like you, Luka.”

God _fuck_. He smiled back, “I really like you too, Adrien.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i gave luka an industrial to live vicariously through him bc i don't have the Right ears for it  
> also he would.
> 
> slow burns deserve slow reveals amirite? 
> 
> i always underestimate how much time i put into these chapters haha  
> thanks for reading i hope you think a lil about love today! <3


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agendas, suitcases, and patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i had some Severe technical difficulties this week. thanks for being patient.   
> fun fact: google docs have a size limit
> 
> tw:  
> mentions of child abuse

August -3-

“You gotta stop having tattoo appointments on Fridays, I want to actually be  _ with _ you when you get them done,” Adrien joked as Luka started to pull off his sweatshirt. They were in his room, keeping out of the late summer heat, below deck significantly cooler. 

“Well that was when he was available, and also Leon helped pay for it as a birthday gift, so he had first dibs,” he explained, tossing his sweatshirt to the foot of his bed as he lifted his shirt, pulling his arm to reveal his recent addition to his plant, new leaves and flowers added on the outskirts. It was beginning to crawl over his shoulder and down his arm and back, a few days into healing, the new parts raised in comparison to the preexisting marks. 

“It looks so good--” Adrien admired, sitting next to him to study it closer, “If all I have to do is pay for it--”

Luka laughed, glancing back to him, “Stop it. You can’t joke about that-- I would  absolutely take advantage of--  _ unrestricted _ ?”

The blond shrugged, “Fine, can’t say I didn’t offer--” he laughed as he shoved his knee.

“What would I become? A sugarbaby?”

He snorted at his conclusion, grabbing the bottle of lotion, “And for a younger man, oof--” he smiled as Luka laughed. 

“Well, I would be more than willing to have you be my sugar daddy--” he joked, pressing his lips together to not smile.

Adrien opened his mouth to comment, not sure where to begin with that statement, "Okay," his reaction made Luka laugh again, looking at him. His bangs were pinned up out of his face with a purple barrette, a look that made him look so dumb in the best way possible. He just looked so  _ good _ all the time, regardless of what he was wearing or what his hair was doing.  But he also knew this went beyond acknowledging his attraction to the other-- he wouldn't be able to push this aside forever, but he just had more pressing things to deal with first , "I don't really like that word."

“What? Daddy?”

He shook his head quickly, “Yeah, I don’t-- it’s just not my favorite--”

Luka watched him a moment, “Sure sure-- just-- curious-- no need to answer, but is it because you really don’t like the word, or the implication, or is it more you’d rather be the one saying it--” he bit his lip, trying his absolute best to not laugh. Luka presenting this idea, regardless of how serious, made this whole ordeal significantly harder to ignore. The fact that Luka was blatantly flirting, reminding Adrien so much of how he was with Chat was a clear indication that something definitely went wrong in his plans to friendship with the other. And the fact that Adrien wanted to flirt right back complicated it in ways he didn't want to address.

He shook his head, clearing this throat as he looked back down to the lotion bottle in his hands before holding it up, “Sorry, do you want my help, or--”

"Yeah yeah," he nodded, shifting back away from him, holding his shirt out of the way, "So just put some in your hand-- you don’t need a lot--” Adrien didn’t hesitate before squeezing out a bit more than he knew he needed, looking back up as he continued, “And just. Lotion it-- I don’t know how much detail you need--”

His skin was warm and soft under his fingers, moving smoothly as he started from the lowest point on his back, not quite the bottom of his shoulder blade. Getting more lotion, his eyes drifted down, noticing his back muscles tensing slightly from sitting straight. He wished his tattoo was lower, to have an excuse to run his hands down, closer to the elastic of his underwear peeking out over his jeans-- Adrien gasped slightly, scaring himself from his own thoughts.

“Were the directions unclear?” Luka laughed, glancing at him as he shook his head.

He exhaled, focusing intently on the tattoo, diligently doing as instructed.  _ Oh no _ , he did not like this new development. Luka smelled so good, completely intoxicating him, wanting his hands to touch-- to  _ feel _ him. To know him in a sense they hadn’t explored yet. He felt his breath catch again-- what was going on,  _ fuck _ , “Have any next tattoo plans?” He asked, hoping words would help fill some space.

“Well, in two weeks I’ve got a  detail appointment, and a few more in the works, but I’m still not telling you. I like surprising you and seeing your reaction,” he watched him as he shifted to get more level with his shoulder, “I can’t wait until you finally get one and I get to go with you.”

Adrien laughed, “Yeah, that’s not going to happen anytime soon, sorry.”

“Doesn’t need to be soon. Just eventually.”

Nodding, he stopped moving his hand as he watched him for a moment, wondering what he could be thinking as he stared back. He found himself frequently sharing moments like this with him, never having to acknowledge it in the following time, content that what they experienced together was enough. Adrien smiled, looking back down at his tattoo, gently rubbing over the places he knew he’d gotten, “Hey I have a question.”

“Is it ‘what should I do with all the extra lotion on my hands?”

“No--” he laughed, leaning closer, “But that’s a good question too,” he offered his hand to him, “I got really excited--”

“Well I enjoy your excitement,” he smiled. Adrien laughed nervously, it was getting hard to ignore how the older boy was making him feel-- making him doubt December was a fluke, but he couldn’t admit it. Speaking it aloud would make it real, and once it was real, it was something he’d have to deal with, something he’d have to address. And he wasn’t ready for that.  Plagg was right in the sense of how if he really wanted to ignore it, spending every possible minu te with him wasn’t the wisest option, but he needed Luka in his life, he just had to find the balance to make everyone else okay with it.

Adrien looked down at his hands,  “Do you want me to just rub it in wherever?” He had to learn to just  _ calm down _ .

Luka definitely looked a little taken back by his offer, but not quite opposed, “Oh, yeah, sure. Go for it.”

“Do you have a preference?”

“No, just wherever works--” Adrien nodded, separating it to both of his hands, rubbing down his bicep and general area around his tattoo, very aware as the other watched him, “How are your hands so cold? It’s literally the hottest time of the year, I can hardly imagine what they’re like in the winter.”

Most of it used, he laughed, rubbing his hands together, “I don’t know? Should I ask my hands what’s up?”

“Well if you don’t know, I doubt they will,” he smiled, "Might want to look into a way to warm them--"

“Are you offering? You’re pretty warm,” he teased, snaking his hands around his bare stomach causing him to sit up straight, gasping at the temperature difference.

“Blondie, you’re so rude--” he laughed, placing his hands atop the others in an attempt to warm them, “Is this why you don’t like people touching them? So they don’t think you’re the actual embodiment of death itself?”

Adrien bit back a smile as Luka looked at him, “Also why  you don’t see me wearing much black,” he teased, completely unoffended with the other’s hands on his, what had  _ happened _ these past few weeks? “Can’t let people get the idea, you know,” he moved them again, amused as he felt the other wince at the change, “And this whole time I thought you were the snake.”

Luka clicked his tongue, leaning back on him as the other took his weight, “So now what? I’m the angel? Looking like this?”

“Angelism is more of a state of mind. So what the vessel you’re occupying is a cute edgy punk--”

“I don’t know the words to describe how I feel when you call me cute, blondie.”

“Should I  _ stop _ ?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just, no one before you ever called me  cute as much as you do. I mean Jules jokingly, but not friends, people I was dating, my own mother--”

The blond shrugged, “Dunno what to tell you. Sorry every other human you’ve interacted with is oblivious to it, I guess. I’m just pointing out what I thought was obvious,” he moved his hands a third time, not invoking the same reaction, giving him the notion they were a more reasonable temperature. But he didn’t want to remove his hands at  _ all _ . He loved the other’s skin under his fingers, warm and soft, his breathing giving a natural rise and fall as they both didn't move for what felt significantly longer than it was.

“You said you had a question,” Luka eventually said, lazily looking up to him from how he was mostly laying across his crossed legs, his fingers attempting to interlace with his without much luck, “Before you got distracted by your inability to follow directions.”

“Oh boy,” he pressed his lips together, he’d had a lot of thoughts these past few minutes, “Yeah, hm. I dunno. Guess I’ll let you know if I remember,” he looked down at him, “I have two new questions, likely unrelated.”

“Go for it.”

“Would you like to put your shirt back on?”

“If you wanted me off you could just ask--” he joked, sitting back up.

He shook his head, “Not even what I was implying,” he watched him pull his arm back through his sleeve, looking at him expectantly, “Do you like being held?”

Luka studied him a moment before laughing, “How do you keep asking questions like that?” Adrien’s head tilted to the side, confused by  his question, “You once asked why I keep falling in love? Like? Is the answer not obvious to you, or do you think I have some secret reason, some real life hidden agenda?”

“Well some things you never know if you don’t ask,” he watched him hesitate before nodding, “Sometimes I like to hear the reason from you, even if it was what I expected, sometimes I think you need to hear the reasoning as a reminder.”

Pressing his lips together, he looked down at a spot on the bed as if processing, “Fuck. I’m sorry-- _who_ called you oblivious, because I think I should talk to them,” he smiled, watching him almost in admiration, “You’re really something else, Adrien.”

The blond wasn’t used to hearing his name from the other; he’d reached a point he was so used to blondie, but he definitely reserved his name intentionally, a pattern he couldn’t quite figure out. There was something flickering in him, similar to a nearly empty lighter trying to catch the smallest trace of fluid for a spark. He did, for a fact, know he enjoyed people praising him sincerely, so that might’ve been the end of the line, “Cool, chill. Should I take that as a yes?”

“That I like being held? Yes.”

“Fair, I guess I did play myself there. I was worried it was just a horror movie thing where you just dealt with it because I was excited when you--” Luka shrugged, “What?”

“It’s just-- who  _ doesn’t _ like being held?”

“Chloe. My father. Kagami’s not a fan--”

“Okay, okay, so a good deal of people in your everyday life," he hesitated, as if deciding to continue, "I just want it to be clear that I like holding you a lot and I like it knowing that you like it. But also I like it because I like holding you? Yeah? Does that make sense?”

Adrien sighed, shaking his head, “Okay, sure, I guess. I don’t know. I was originally asking because you’re always holding me, but if  _ you _ want to be held sometimes, we should do that.”

Luka smiled, leaning forward teasingly, “Planning out who cuddles who, blondie, we’re practically dating.”

The fact that he wasn’t offended by the idea made him realize this potential was getting way too probable, and he definitely needed to backtrack. Biting his lip, he leaned in, “Yeah, but we’re both dating other people and I’m pretty certain I’m straight,” oh, so now he was just blatantly lying to keep him distanced, “Also-- regardless, Nino and I have a set schedule of who’s what spoon that day, so you’re hardly special.”

Laughing under his breath, he pulled back slightly, “You’re right, how dare I even consider--” Adrien had been joking, but could’ve sworn he was almost upset by his comment, definitely trying his best to cover it. Luka watched him a moment before clearing his throat, “You still up for that movie?”

\---

They'd moved to the other room on the couch, Luka laying on his stomach across Adrien’s lap, and it was  _ fine _ . His arms were folded under his head on a pillow as he watched the screen, ankles crossed. Adrien was slowly  raking his fingers up and down a small section of his back, initially subconsciously as he tried to focus on the movie, but encouraged to continue at Luka's reaction to it.  His level of comfort with him was unmatched to anyone else, making him think maybe something happening was inevitable,  “Hey are we going to talk about how you’ve suddenly been inspired to  _ name _ the playlists you send me?” Adrien asked, tapping his fingers lightly to get his attention.

“No, we don’t have to--” he laughed, turning his head to look up at him, “I am more than willing for the conversation, but your acknowledgement already says so much. Also, I have been naming them this whole time, they’ve just been more...artistic the last few-- a little inspiration--”

“Your last playlist was titled, and I  _ quote _ , ‘how much more obvious can I be?’” 

Luka watched him a moment, waiting for him to continue, “Yes, and?”

“The one before it was ‘gay?’ with about seven question marks--”

“Blondie--” he smiled, pushing himself to sit up next to him, “It’s an important question. 

You said you wanted to get to know different music, it’s definitely a whole subgenre-- definite gay undertones.” 

Adrien shook his head, “Okay, it was definitely a good playlist, I was just wondering if there was some reasoning behind it."

He smirked, leaning closer, "Do you want there to be?"

"Well, that depends what it is," he teased back, knowing it probably wasn't his wisest response option. Nothing could happen, it wasn't possible. It was wrong of him to pretend there was potential and lead him on like so. Luka's  hand was on his knee, moving the slightest bit further up, enough for his stomach to drop. How was this in  _ any _ way a normal reaction-- he  _ could not _ . There were so many reasons he could not, including the fact that he  _ wanted _ to.  Adrien smiled one of his smiles that he knew always got the other distracted, talking about his eyes or something, in hopes of a distraction-- he couldn't simply say  no \-- "I think you're pretty cool--"

Luka pulled back from their trance, smiling sheepishly, “Hey sorry-- I’m just gonna--" he clicked his tongue, gesturing to the other room, "Real quick--” he said, setting the bundle of blankets on the blond's lap as he nodded quickly.

Adrien sighed as he heard the door close, his kwami appearing not a moment later, “Is this  for real kid?”

He shrugged, laying down on the couch, holding tight to the ball of fabric, “I don’t know, Plagg. Something’s weird. Something’s off and I don’t know if I like it.”

“Hm…” the blond could feel him staring at him, “So what part’s getting to you? Is it whatever your dad said, or the fact you need to tell Luka you’re Chat Noir? Are you going to ignore your dad like you have for most aspects of your life, or just continue dropping hints that you’re his favorite hero?" he gestured to the door, "Or hey, both?”

“I have done--” he pressed his lips together, “Fine, yeah, I am doing that-- but it’s better than one big dramatic reveal, right?” his kwami notably didn’t answer, “I just want things to keep being normal-- but I really want him to know-- I trust him and it feels like I’ve just tricked him into this thing--”

“This ‘thing’ being Luka falling for you  _ again _ and your inability to accept or even acknowledge because you have this illusion your dad’s not going to love you anymore?” Adrien shook his head, irritated, “I mean it’s a bold statement to imply he ever did--”

His kwami flew behind the couch, not giving him an opportunity to respond, as the other boy returned, Sass hanging nearby, “Someone wanted to say hi--” Luka offered as the snake flew over, hugging his cheek as he pushed himself to sit up.

“Master Adrien!” He said excitedly as the blond laugh, thankful for this distraction, “It’s been so long--”

“Not that long, Sass-- just a few months--” he felt Luka watching him as he held his hand for him, “If you ever wanna mix it up, I’m always down to help again--”

Sass laughed, “Yessss--”

“Alright, if we’re gonna vote me out, let’s be a bit more direct next time--” the older boy said, sitting back down next to him, “And is blondie here really worthy of ‘master’?”

Looking at Sass, Adrien nodded, “Yes.”

“Just because--" they both looked at him, "Fine, fine--”

“I said you’ll figure it out,” he mumbled, petting the kwami.

“What?” Luka asked teasingly, leaning closer, “You sure love mumbling, don’t you?”

He shrugged, “I guess I can stop--”

"No, nope, not what I said. If you want an aura of mystery around yourself, I'm not going to tear down the veil--" hm. Not entirely true, "Sass, you're always more than welcome to say hi when he's here."

His kwami nodded, "I could imagine you'd prefer time alone with Master Adrien." 

Luka pressed his lips together, face definitely darkening as the blond laughed, covering his mouth, "Thanks, yeah, I can't deny that," Adrien dropped his hand as he flew out of it, "Whatcha been up to?"

Clearly he did not anticipate this question, and could not mention Plagg, "Taking a nap--" he answered, not stopping as he continued to the other room.

"That's fair."

"I mean, I get why he likes you so much--" Luka shrugged, crossing his legs, returning his focus back to the movie that never stopped playing. 

It wasn't necessarily a  _ problem _ wanting to be this close to him, except for, well, the exterior problems that would arise if it ever were to happen. He hated admitting his kwami was right, but Plagg hit the nail on the head so accurately it was almost frightening. All he knew was that he had to figure things out first before acting, definitely not his strong suit. He leaned slightly on the other, their shoulders barely touching, not enough to get his attention,  “We should go swimming,” Adrien thought out loud, watching the screen but definitely not paying attention to what was on it. 

Luka laughed, looking over at him, “Yeah?”

“It’s just so hot outside--”

“I bet a lot of people are thinking the same thing, blondie,” he said, nudging him with his elbow, “It’s probably really crowded--” 

The blond shrugged, “I mean, no one ever uses the pool on the hotel, it could just be the two of us--” Luka definitely smiled at that idea, “Or I guess anyone else we could invite--”

“That sounds fun, but unfortunately, swimming and new tattoos don’t go well together.”

"Hm,"  he watched him a moment, “Okay. Next year maybe?”

The older boy’s face lit up, trying to hold back his excitement, “You’re already looking into next summer, blondie? What else is on this agenda of yours?”

Adrien laughed, leaning back on the couch. It really depended on so many things, “Well, seeing as I’ll be free from the Agreste brand, and likely having passed my exams-- anything I want, I guess,” of course, the miraculous was tethering him mostly to Paris, but hopefully Hawkmoth would be a thing of the past a year from now, "I'd love to get out of here, see the world. Exist where no one knows me, you know?" he nodded, "But h ey, you’re taking classes this term, aren’t you? That’s fun, maybe we could study together?”

“Yeah, sure, as long as you’re not as distracting as you have been.”

His mouth opened in offense as Luka watched him, amused, “It’s hardly my fault if you’re distracted by me--” he said, shoving him playfully as he laughed, “Fine, I will be not distracting, just for you.”

“Aw, thanks blondie,” he smiled before leaning against him, resting his head on his shoulder, “Dunno what you’re gonna do, but I’m excited, regardless.”

“Super honest, I wasn’t actually going to change anything--” he laughed as Luka jabbed his side, “What? I don’t know what you find to be so very distracting, so how will I know what to change?”

Pushing himself up, Luka looked at him, “Do you want me to  _ tell you _ ?”

He pressed his lips together, trying not to smile or laugh, “I think you will regardless of--” Adrien hesitated, distracted by the other’s close proximity, his blue eyes watching carefully, making him very aware of how his arm was on his leg, shoulder pressed against his, “--my answer.” He wanted to look away, but there was something so captivating about him-- Luka smiled at his pause and the blond felt his heart  _ skip _ . Oh  _ no _ .

“If you don’t want to, I really won’t,” he shrugged, rotating to lean his back against him, bringing both relief and disappointment, “I’ll take any opportunity to hang with you-- maybe I can be formally planned into your schedule this time?”

“Not quite how it works during the school year, sorry-- there’s also homework to account for, but I’ll try my best to fit you in--”

“I know you will blondie--” Luka smiled, patting his leg in almost mock reassurance, “Is your dad still making you do the dating thing once the term starts? That’s a whole thing, isn’t it?” Adrien nodded, he hadn’t really considered-- just another reason to schedule a meeting with his father, “How many have you gone on? How is it possible you haven’t fallen in love yet?”

He laughed as the other glanced up at him, “I am up to eighteen, with what, two weeks left? I bet he’s going to cram so many in here-- of all the punishments I’ve received, it might win being the worst simply because so many other people have to suffer with me.”

“I doubt a date with you is ‘suffer worthy’--” he teased, poking his leg, “Everything I hear about him doesn’t paint him out to be...the best, I’d say.”

Adrien nodded, to get into  _ this  _ suitcase invited Luka to a level that he was hesitant to tell even Nino, but it felt...safe to venture in, "Yeah, he has his moments for sure, and I do believe he does somethings to help me, but there's just a lot of suffering and struggling from his choices, but I guess maybe it'll be okay," he paused, "He's only ever hit me once--" this prompted Luka to look at him, "I mean, he's really not that bad--"

"Hm," Luka clicked his tongue, "Now, as someone with no fatherly figure in my life, I don't think--" he exhaled, "Are you okay living there? I know your sweet release is coming up, but I wasn't kidding about you living here, especially if you're not--"

He was not a fan of people worrying about him, and Luka was still not an exception to that, "Oh, no-- I mean, it's only what, eight months? I've survived over seventeen years-- if it's reassuring, he's not going to get physical because the one time he did press noticed and it became a whole thing--" Luka's face of concern was back, "A lot of his punishments have like, lost their impact because I've figured ways around-- lock me in? I have a way out. Starve me? I have friends. He mostly sticks to belittling me-- but it's been years so I should be used to it right?"

The older boy pushed himself to sitting, looking at him, "Well,  _ no _ \--"

"Exactly. I kinda deserve it--" the older boy pressed his lips together, definitely holding back on saying something, "I just mean, if I just did what I was supposed to without being a butt about it, it probably wouldn't even happen. However, I also very much want time for my friends, and that's just something we really disagree on. The most wild part is there's this part of me that hopes he'll one day apologize or tell me he's proud of me. Like, he's my _dad_ , he has to love me a little, right? All I'm asking for is just a sign-- the only time he'd ever praise me was when my mom would say something and ask if he'd agree, which he probably mostly did for her, not...for me," he sighed, "But I just keep doing everything he asks for me to do, thinking maybe one day I'll get a little 'Good Job' or reassurance of any kind-- I'd take a slight smile and a nod at this point--" he exhaled a laugh, "Sorry, I've never talked about this before, and I'm just rambling about avoidable problems of my father and you don't even know yours--"

He stared at Adrien as if processing, "Can I hug you?"

"Oh. Yeah--" the words barely left his mouth before he wrapped his arms around his neck, holding him tight, "Hey, Luka, I'm like really okay-- it's just how my life is--"

Inhaling deeply, he refused to loosen his hold, "Sure, but I wish it wasn't."

"Everyone has problems with their parents, it's normal--" he said in attempt to tone back the seriousness he was trying to imply, hugging him back with a fraction of the intensity as the other.

"Okay the difference is I might have a douchebag father who wants nothing to do with my life, but at least my mom is actually the best. Your mom is  _ dead _ ."

Adrien nodded hesitantly, "Yep, she is."

Luka pulled back, as if realizing what he'd said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" h is hands were still on his shoulders, keeping him close, making sure he understood his regret.

"No, you're not wrong, she is," he shrugged, offering a smile in reassurance,  "Promise-- I'm super okay. I'm  fine . Thanks for worrying, but I'd really prefer if you just...didn't," he needed to just change the topic entirely, "Thanks for listening to me open up on that a little, but I would really greatly prefer to maybe get back to this later instead of now--" he offered as Luka moved his hands to be resting in his lap.

"Yeah, of course," he nodded, clearly not wanting to transition, "I'm always down to listen or help in anyway--"

He smiled politely, "Yeah, I know," the older boy watched him a moment before smiling back, definitely still concerned. Adrien knew he would help in anyway-- he felt the same way for him, willing to drop anything in a moments notice,  "Hey I was talking to another miraculous holder and they mentioned something about patrol?" 

Understandably thrown by the change in topic, he pressed his lips together, "Yeah?"

"Well, you're a miraculous holder and you've never mentioned patrol."

"Well, I don’t do patrol,” Luka shrugged, leaning back on the couch next to him.

That always confused Adrien as Chat, but maybe he could finally get an answer for it, “Why don’t you?”

He exhaled a laugh, looking at him, “You really want me to bore you with the details of hero talk?” Adrien nodded, pulling his feet to sit on. He preferred listening to Luka talk over him oversharing any day, “Okay. So. We only have assigned nights on Friday/Saturday and each night consists of two pairs. Fridays are Rena with Carapace ev ery week, and Chat with Ryuko one, and Ladybug and Queenie the other, cuz Chat has a life or something--” he said, adjusting the blanket on his lap to cover the blond, “Saturdays are Ryuko with King Monkey and Tigress with Minni and then the other weeks are Queenie with Pegasus,-- that’s a wild pair, let me tell you that much,” he shook his head as Adrien bit back a smile, oh he knew, Chloe had a lot to say regarding them, “And Ladybug with King Monkey-- yes..." he paused, as if thinking, “Regardless, they’re all in their pairs and groups and I dunno, didn’t get it?”

Huh. “Well that kinda sucks. Do you want to do patrol?”

“I mean, I've covered patrols for people, and I suppose it would be fun with the right hero, but I’m not exactly fighting for a spot. The rest of the week is kind of free for all, but at least one hero a night, and I enjoy Sundays and Mondays alone. Paris is rarely dead, but it’s sure quiet at 3am on a Monday morning.”

Well that was some fun new information. Adrien made a note to find Viperion one of those mornings, “What even happens on patrol?”

“Gee, I might as well give you the snake miraculous back with all these questions,” he  joked, nudging his leg with his knee, prompting Adrien to smile back, “General helping people, stop  fights, like I said, I think the weekend crew does a lot more than I know, but, y’know,” he shrugged, watching him as if carefully thinking about something.  God, Adrien didn't know how else to push this topic without saying it outright, h e might just have to bring it up as Chat.

"So it's not because you get gigs with your band those nights?"

Luka laughed, leaning his head against the couch, "You are so interested in this--"

"Well, no, I'm interested in  you \--"

"Yeah?" he smiled.

"Yeah," he said softly, leaning into Luka, who moved his arm, draping it loosely around his waist as they both looked back to the screen. Adrien didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, and he knew what he technically should do, but he just wanted to push to see how far in his favor he could take this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lukadrien summer's almost over :(
> 
> ((also they absolutely get paid for patrol, let's be real, paris needs them more than they need paris ))
> 
> thanks for reading! it's happening!


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rivers, realizations, and rejections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's late time is fake but also life is in chaos  
> (also i started a college au stay tuned)  
> ((also also these chapters are getting longer yo))
> 
> tw//  
> mentions of blood

Late August -3-

Luka was strumming his ukulele, mindlessly repeating the same part over and over as he watched the blond nod along. They were sitting on the railing, overlooking the river, Luka leaning against one of the posts, comfortable and used to sitting so precariously, "What song is this? It doesn't sound familiar--"

Not stopping, he smiled, "Just something I've been working on--" Adrien looked over at him, expecting him to continue, "You'll hear it when it's ready, don't worry--"

"It's just kinda rude keeping songs from me-- I thought we worked on everything together--" Luka laughed, cutting his thought off, " _What_."

"Nothing, blondie, I just don't think it's ready to share yet," Adrien sighed, "Even for you, my little source of inspiration--" he smiled as the other shook his head, clearly amused before looking back to him quickly as if making a connection.

"Wait, is this the same one you wouldn't show me from the park--" Luka smiled before shrugging, "It's been _weeks_ , loverboy, it's beyond the base stages, come on--"

He clicked his tongue, switching to a different tune, "No, not yet." Adrien pouted, accepting his answer, returning to his leaning forward to test how far he could push his luck before losing balance and placing a foot on the ground before repeating it again. Luka continued watching him repeat this cycle twice before drifting back to the original tune, knowing he’d hear the full song in the near future, "Hey, I have an idea."

This got him to look up, "I generally like your ideas."

“You don’t have your phone or like, anything of value on you, right?” Luka asked, jumping down to set his instrument on the couch, taking a few steps to stand in front of the other as he shook his head. “And you do know how to swim, right?”

The blond studied him a moment, “Luka---” as if realizing what he was planning, he leaned forward, grabbing his arms, “You wouldn’t-- you said you liked me too much--”

He shrugged, smiling at his connection, “Well that was true for June. How could we spend all summer on a boat and not get wet at least once?” he teased, leaning closer, “C’mon, you were the one who proposed swimming--”

“Being thrown into the river is _quite_ different than swimming,” he sounded offended, but continued smiling, “What have I even done for you to invoke such revenge? Is it because I keep making fun of your crush on Chat?”

He laughed, shaking his head, “You sure love to bring him up, huh? Call it what you want. I don’t do it to people I don’t like. But I like you enough to give you a warning--” he stared at the other, his grip adjusting on his arms as he leaned even closer, “C’mon blondie--”

Adrien made a face, unfazed, “So you’re going to push me overboard.”

“I think it’s more fun if I throw you, but as long as you end up wet, I’m not picky--”

“I’ve witnessed people pee in this river.”

He shrugged, “So don’t swallow?”

“That’s not really my style.”

Taken back, he felt his face darken slightly, smiling as the other offered one of his typical grins, he knew the implication, “And I was expected to know that?” he shrugged, biting his lip, in an almost attempt to play innocent, “Well I still haven’t heard a real reason not to--” he stepped back as he let go of his arms.

The blond smiled, jumping down to take a step closer, “Because I think you’re pretty cool?” he watched him a moment, Adrien knew he was going to have to do better than that, “Know what? Do it. It’s hot out, and I think until it does happen, I’ll be at risk. Might as well get it done now.”

He laughed at his reasoning, “You’re not wrong-- I’m not going to do it if you really oppose-- I mean a little bite is always fun, but I’m never going to do something you don’t...want to do--” Luka hesitated as the other took another step closer, staring at him with wide eyes, definitely in attempt to distract him somehow, and kudos to that, “It’s fun and safe, tons of people have done it before, I’ve jumped off multiple times--”

“Oh so you’ll join me?”

“That’s actually going to be a no-- remember how fresh ink and dirty water don’t get along too well-- you don’t want that now do you?”

Adrien smiled, watching him, “No, believe it or not, I don’t want you to get an infection? Is that what you wanted me to say? I can say nicer things about you too, Luka--” he laughed, “To begin, I think you’re really pretty--”

“If you think complimenting me is going to keep you from getting tossed you’re wrong--”

“So you _don’t_ want to hear how I think your hair length is stupid but you somehow manage to make it look really good?" he watched him a moment, waiting for the blond to continue, "And how you're really talented with music and your--" he paused as Luka bent down, hooking his arm behind his knees, lifting him easily, "No-- Luka--" he laughed, wrapping his arms around his neck, "It’s really amazing how you always know what to say and I could hear you talk or sing for hours and not get bored and--” 

Luka attempted to set him back down on the railing, legs hanging over the open water, his arms still tight around him, “Now, blondie, it kinda feels like you’re saying all this as a final plea for mercy--” he pulled back, opening his mouth, half offended, half smiling, “Kinda pathetic--”

“ _Okay_ \--” he laughed, moving one hand to grab the railing, in attempt to balance, very aware of his precarious situation, “You could just take my word for it-- you know I like you a whole lot, Luka, you don’t need threats to get me to say that--”

He laughed, “You’re the one who went off, completely unprompted. The question at hand is more so, how much I like you--”

“If it’s anything as close as to how much I like you, we’re reaching some problematic territory,” he mumbled, glancing down at the water before looking at him. The blond’s one arm was still around his neck, knowing he was safest attached to him.

If the question was how much _he_ liked Adrien, there were no limits. Luka moved his hand around his waist, feeling his bare skin under his fingers as he adjusted to be more stable, leaning closer, smiling at his confession, “I think that’s a problem we could easily work through,” the other laughed, glancing at him quickly.

“Bigger problems at hand, loverboy, seeing as cats aren’t known for liking water--” Adrien suggested, turning to look at him by standing with the railing between them, his feet hooked on some piece of wood on the other side, finally dropping his hand to hold the banister, “Oh come on, you’re the one who said _I’m_ cat-like--”

He laughed, watching him, “You’re practically a cat, I can’t deny that--” he offered his hands, which he took hesitantly, holding tight to balance.

The blond shrugged, clearly more in control, “Do I remind you of anybody?” Luka didn’t know what to say to that. This hunch he had was getting more and more confirmed, almost as though he _wanted_ him to make the connection without the words being exchanged, “No? Hm,” he studied his face, leaning in closer before smirking, “Really? Come on, scales--"

That was it. A simultaneous act of him pulling his hands back, and Adrien just falling, the same stupid grin he fell in love with _twice_ as a final offering. _Why didn’t he realize sooner?_ He exhaled, he had this hunch for a while at this point, but such a confirmation just felt like so much, but so so so _right_. Luka leaned over the edge, looking down at the blond as he resurfaced, spitting out water before looking up at him, “How’s the water, blondie?”

“It’s actually really nice, I wish you could join me--” he grinned, running his hand through his hair, “Things are always more fun with you.”

“You really want that?”

“Yeah, it’ll also be easier to drown you if you jump in willingly.”

Sass appeared by his shoulder, looking over, “I thought you enjoyed Master Adrien.”

He laughed, looking at his kwami, “Oh, I do. A lot. Humans do weird things in love,” he looked back down, “You know I’d love to join you if I could, but we don’t want that--”

“No, I suppose not,” he looked down the river, “Hey, how the _heck_ do I get out of here?”

He shrugged, “Guess you’re stuck there forever. Might as well accept the siren life--”

“Not singing for you, loverboy.”

“Aw, but will you kill me?”

The blond laughed, shaking his head, “Not if you ask,” he turned in the water, noticing a small boat pass close by, nearly a dozen people witnessing their exchange, “ _Bonjour,_ ” he waved uncomfortably before looking up to Luka, who held his hand over his mouth, laughing, “ _Alright_ \--”

“The ladder’s in the back, by my sad spot-- I’ll grab a towel for you,” the older boy said, smiling as he watched him start to make his way towards the back of the boat. He glanced at his kwami, who was clearly confused by the entire interaction, “What?”

Sass shrugged, following his master, “Plagg was right that humans are odd creatures.”

“Plagg, huh?” he opened a cupboard, grabbing a towel, “You been talking to him recently?" His kwami looked at him, unsure whether to deny or confirm his suspicion, "Yeah I get it. You couldn't tell me if you were,” he paused, almost hoping Sass to say something in _either_ direction, “I wonder how Chat’s doing these days.”

He heard his kwami sigh, but still refused to answer the question. Luka knew he had his reasons for not telling him. But he'd been so good at hiding his identity for so long, it felt as though him figuring it out, piece by piece, had to be intentional, right? They approached the ladder right as Adrien was climbing up, “Have fun, blondie?”

He laughed, shaking his head as he took the towel, “Not as terrible as anticipated, but also should’ve known this outcome was inevitable,” he dried his hair, resting the towel around his neck, “Should I just go home now, or--”

“Oh, I have a whole wardrobe you’re more than welcome to raid--” he offered.

Adrien noticed his eagerness, “Alright loverboy,” he laughed, walking back towards the boat, “Don’t sound too excited over it, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Luka hung back a few steps, admiring him before catching up, “I can’t believe fashion model Adrien Agreste is going to be wearing _my_ clothes,” he joked, prompting the other to smile at him.

“Right, right, we better call the press to let them know pretty boy is going punk,” he reached up with his left hand to try to attempt to fluff his still dripping hair, “Oh it’s going to be a disaster--”

Luka laughed, glancing at him, “Even as a disaster you’re still gonna-- hey, are you bleeding?” He asked, grabbing his other arm to get him to stop.

Adrien looked down, quite unfazed, to see what he meant. A deep gash on his forearm was bleeding a _lot,_ dripping dark red down to his elbow, “Would you look at that,” he mumbled, “I did feel something when climbing out, but it didn’t think it was enough to make me bleed. And definitely not _this_ much.”

“How did that happen? Does it not hurt? God, fuck-- I’m sorry, this is really my fault--” he was irritated in himself for doing something that resulted in him getting injured, “We should get this cleaned and bandaged up--” he glanced down as Adrien cupped his hand under his elbow as it began to drip. He looked back up to him, a slight smile on his face, watching him carefully, “What?”

“You’re just--cute when you’re all flustered. I’m fine. I hardly noticed,” Luka felt his face flush slightly, “I just-- it’s really seeming like you might actually care about me.”

He stared at him in complete disbelief, “Adrien. I _do_. A lot--” he hesitated, knowing whatever he said to justify himself wasn’t going to be believed by the other, “Let's go get this cleaned up-- the river’s not exactly the cleanest--” he joked as Adrien looked at his wound.

“And yet you were the one who threw me in it--” he teased, glancing at him before walking onto the boat, leaving Luka to follow behind. He felt _horrible_ . The other appeared to be okay, but he clearly _hated_ people worrying about him, very noticeable when Luka would attempt to comfort him, the slightest notion of opening up always made him backtrack eight steps and downplay whatever he’d previously said. 

“I can’t believe you did it--” Juleka commented, walking halfway down the stairs before leaning against the railing, “Oh, Rose’s gonna be pissed when she finds out she wasn’t here for it. It's been so long since someone's been overboard--”

Luka smiled at his sister, “I can always do it again for her.” he joked, “Hopefully next time there’ll be less blood shed.”

“Oh geez- was it from when you were climbing up?” she asked, peering over as he nodded, holding under his arm so his blood was pooling in his palm, “Yeah, there’s something near the ladder, caught my jeans a bit back and just shredded them--”

“Huh. That sucks.”

“Jules-- thanks for the head up, I guess. Kinda bleeding a lot here--” her brother explained, gesturing to Adrien, who was listening politely.

She shrugged, “Hey, it’s your boy who’s not moving.”

“Okay, let’s go--” he ushered the blond down the stairs as he shook his head at his sister, “I am nothing but loving and kind towards you--”

Laughing, she shook her head, “God, I love you, but _come on_.”

He shot her a glare before following the other down, “Sorry, she’s been all...like that with Rose being away--”

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t notice anything weird, I have a handful of my own blood distracting me,” he said, walking into the bathroom as the other followed, watching from the doorway as he rinsed the blood off in the sink, “So what, you have a knack for throwing blonds in the river?” he teased, looking at him.

He smiled, leaning against the doorway, arms folded, “Rose had it coming.”

Adrien shook his head, turning off the water, “You Couffaine’s really have a type, don’t you?”

Luka hesitated as the other grinned, “I mean, I guess--” he watched him, amused by his inability to find a defense, “Now I wouldn’t exactly say--”

He took a step towards him, handing him the towel, “You wouldn’t say what? That Juleka doesn’t like Rose, or that you don’t like Chat?”

Laughing under his breath, he shook his head, “Back to Chat, huh?”

“Or okay, let's rephrase that," he paused, studying his face, "Then what about me?”

In the same way? Of course in the same way, they’re the same person-- and he _knew_ what Luka thought of the hero. Pressing his lips together, he felt his face darken, it was almost like he knew and found great entertainment in mocking it, but did not feel the same, “I’m not sure that’s even rephrased--” the blond did not react at _all_ , entirely unimpressed, “Of course I like you, blondie.”

Adrien watched him intently for a moment before smiling, “I really like you too, Luka. Even when you throw me into the river and I get sliced open and have to change out of my cute summer outfit. Even a crop top _you_ requested I wear.”

“I’ll find you a cute outfit, calm down,” he laughed.

He shook his head, carefully pulling off his drenched shirt, cautious of his fresh cut, which was starting to bleed again. Luka had seen him in crop tops and tanks, tuxedos and t-shirts, but he realized he’d never seen him shirtless. He was slender, that was noticeable clothed, but his arms and chest were toned, defined enough but still soft. But on top of the Paris-saving training sessions, he did spend a good deal of time fencing, and in that, staying in shape for the sport and for his modeling. No wonder people paid money to see him. He definitely noticed him staring, smiling softly, “You better.”

Luka was reminded, similar to being sideswiped by a semi truck, how incredibly Not Straight he was. _God fuck_. He bit his lip, looking down at the floor as the other turned back to him, smiling as he took a few steps closer, "There's some cleaning stuff and bandages in the top drawer, be sure to completely--"

“I think I’ve got it from here, loverboy,” Adrien looked at him for a moment, “Best to leave something to your imagination--” he stuck his tongue out before closing the door, leaving the older boy, face red, alone. He stood a moment, hearing the water turn on before exhaling, turning to grab him a new outfit.

It was _bad_ . He stopped, hands on the handles of his dresser, taking a few breaths to level his head, cool his hot face and calm his racing heart. Dumb. That’s what this all was. Just a dumb crush on a boy who would never feel the same. Just a dumb crush on a boy who just wanted to be his friend. Just a dumb crush just like his dumb crush on Chat Noir; unrealistic and delusional. But that was _it_. There were moments he was so beyond Chat-like, his little jokes and head tilts and the blatant flirting-- although everything did have an excuse to counter, it made so much sense. 

Out of all the conclusions, it was far from what he expected and had a hard time even admitting it to himself, much less say it outloud, or even dare bring it up with the other-- but _Adrien was Chat Noir_ . Adjusting his hands on the handles, he shook his head, this complicated things in a very unexpected way. But this meant there was a potential-- _he’d actually kissed him before_ \-- 

Luka had discovered Ladybug’s weeks into their relationship, new to being guardian, she had a hard time adjusting, but once he knew, he told her and he quickly became her place to vent. But somehow, this felt different to him. This wasn’t walking in on him transforming, and addressing in the moment, it was a slow process, laid throughout the past weeks. Adrien was so great at keeping his identities hidden, for Luka to figure this out with such bold hints made him consider this was intentional. But it made _sense_. 

Maybe he was telling him as an answer to his previous query. He was never _offended_ when he’d blatantly flirt with him, and definitely showed some intention behind his comebacks. But Adrien also wasn’t one to speak up when placed in a less than ideal situation. Regardless, he enjoyed him as a person, his ideas and theories, hopes and dreams, transformed or not. It really seemed like, with his already made attempts, his options were clear. But at the same time, he wanted to keep pushing to see how far he could take it; maybe the reason he hadn’t found common ground yet was because he hadn’t reached it yet, not because it didn’t exist.

He sighed, trying to regain composure, which was feeling so much harder than it needed to be. He opened the drawer to pick out clothes for the other, looking at his choices. Well okay, just _pick something_. “Luka, this is pathetic--” he mumbled to himself, feeling his heart skip again at the idea of him wearing his clothes--

“Could you help me with this? I cleaned it like you said, but this is hard to do one handed,” the blond emerged from the bathroom, mostly dry with his hair still dripping, towel tied low around his waist, attempting to bandage himself.

Wow, he’d lost track of time. He looked up, thankful his nurture side was strong enough to ignore his other thoughts, approaching him to help, “Here, let me. I’m pretty used to bandaging forearms,” he half joked, not invoking laughter from Adrien.

He could feel the blond watching him as he focused on his arm, a soft smile on his face, “You chose some clothes for me, or do I get to pick?”

Finishing with the wrapping, Luka looked up, unfazed by the close proximity, only inches from the other, “I thought it'd be more fun as a free for all.”

Adrien smiled, looking at his arm as he walked over, “Thanks.”

He felt himself watching, distracted by his defined back muscles as he opened the top drawer to his dresser, reminding him how his arms would drape over his staff so nonchalant. God. Damn. _He_ needed to be thrown in the river. The blond pulled out his black tank with a light pink skeleton hand on it, “Oh look, I’ll be punk. Just for you.”

“It’s not a punk hand, the thumb is out.”

He hesitated, halfway through pulling the shirt on, “Meaning?”

“It’s sign language for ‘I love you’.”

Adrien smiled, looking down at it, “Well I’d argue that’s much more fitting for me anyway.” 

Luka bit back a smile, glancing away as he looked through his drawers. There was the other thing; he openly expressed on multiple occasions the annoyance of his friends not taking his own interest into account. His hot topic was the uncomfortable moments he faced on their New York trip, _especially_ because he was dating Kagami, and his friends _knew_ that. Eventually Nino realized how serious he was, but it took months, even into his relationship with Kagami before they stopped with the relationship jokes. Arguably, they never stopped when he was dating Marinette, just something he was expected to get used to. Looking back on it, it made sense why she was so infatuated with the blond, from a base level he was great, but how he knew him now, this connection and his opinions and secrets and everything else he was learning about him left him in _love_. 

“Luka? Loverboy? Heyo?” Adrien waved his hand in front of him, taking a few steps closer to get his attention.

He shook his head, snapping back to the present as the blond smiled, ruffling his hair with his towel. He had, apparently, gotten dressed before his very eyes without him even noticing, choosing black shorts to finish his edgier get up, making him wonder what he chose to wear _under_ \-- god, _fuck_ , “Sorry, I was thinking.”

“No need to apologize on something you shouldn’t be sorry for,” he said, pulling his towel off, leaving his damp hair spiked in every direction possible, reminding him so much of his hero counterpart, “Oh heck, this is going to dry all sorts of weird.”

“Don’t worry, pretty boy, I won’t judge too harshly,” he joked, taking the towel from him to hang up.

“Well I wasn’t worried about that. My hair’s got its own mind. Chloe says if I just let it air dry it really gets some Chat Noir vibes, which isn’t something I’d exactly _aim_ for around you--” he quipped back as he glanced back to express his mild offense-- was he completely unaware how obvious this was getting? “How’s that love affair going, by the way?”

He laughed, emerging back from the bathroom, “What do you mean?”

“With Chat? You speak so highly of him.”

Luka watched him a moment, “Now this is far from the first time you’ve mentioned him today-- you really can’t go that long without talking about him. Is there the potential of jealousy? Make sure he’s out of the way so you can swoop in?” He teased, mostly joking, but definitely hoping for the unlikely answer, as Adrien rolled his eyes.

“First, I’m not _jealous_ of Chat or anything he has-- _including_ your attention-- I’m just curious about your life,” he shrugged, “I don’t ever hear you talking about anyone else.”

He bit back a smile, sitting down next to him on the bed, “I’d argue you’ve had my attention more than him recently. But with that, I don’t know if I’m able to say I’m thinking about someone else.”

Adrien tilted his head-- there was no way this wasn’t intentional, “Are you implying something, loverboy?”

“No,” he said simply, as the other watched him, skeptical, “Why?”

“I’m just curious about your interests,” he shrugged.

“‘Hi my name is Adrien and I, on multiple occasions, have warned to not talk to me about romantic pursuits because I am the least qualified person on the planet-- but also tell me _everything_ so I can both make fun of you and--’” he laughed as the other’s mouth opened in mild offense, “‘--and support--’ are you going to tell me I’m _wrong_?”

Adrien pressed his lips together, trying his best to not smile, not daring to look away from him, “I just want to be supportive-- imagine that.”

“No hidden agenda?” He shook his head, “Alright blondie--” Adrien was smart. He knew what he was doing. He sure wished he knew his whole plan, but trusted him enough to follow him through blindly, beginning with letting him know his identity without, well, telling him.

The blond grinned, leaning back on his hand, twisting his fingers through his hair, Luka watching him the entire time, “What?”

“You’re just so cute when you smile like that,” Adrien laughed, shaking his head, not believing him, “You seem genuinely happy and I really love that.”

He shrugged, ruffling his hair with his hand, “I am.”

Luka adjusted his arm behind the other to lean closer, “I love that.” He watched him carefully as he continued with his hair, “I don’t get why you avoid the color, you look so good in black, makes your eyes pop.”

Adrien smiled, leaning back on his other hand, “Not to be that person, but I know. You’ve seen my date get-up.” And his transformed look, yes.

“Well I’d love to see it again,” Luka reached up, brushing his blond hair off his forehead, studying his face as he leaned closer still, only inches from the others' green eyes sparkling back at him. There was something about knowing it was him the entire time that added a level of excitement, he wanted the blond to be his thrill _forever_ . Call him a sap, he didn’t care, but the combination of the two crushes really pushed him into a new category, _and_ this had potential. He wanted to exist with the other, care for him, grow with him, hold him when he finally did cry, make him laugh to feel better. Things felt so right and _easy_. Things felt like he'd been in love for years.

“You sure seem to be talking about love a lot,” he was _not_ backing down, as if equally intoxicated by his existence. 

“Huh, I wonder why--” he muttered, twisting his hair between his fingers.

Adrien exhaled a laugh, looking down at his hands, “My school starts back up on Wednesday, so I guess that means less time harassing you,” he glanced up at him, biting his lip, “I’d better pick up a new hobby with all this free time I’m going to acquire.”

He smiled, pulling back slightly, “I get you’re mostly joking, but if you want to take a guitar I'll definitely get one for you-- I'll teach you how to tune it, you're great with music so it'll be easy."

"Thanks," he watched him a moment, hesitant to say something else, "Yeah, I'd like that."

He knew it would be easiest to just ask, worst case scenario he were to say _no_ , but best case he says _yes_ \-- no no, he knew it wasn't going to be that simple, he had to wait for him-- it was his pace to set. Luka continued watching him as he looked back up to him, almost surprised by their close proximity, but definitely not offended, a slight smile dancing on his lips. Leaning closer still, he could feel the blond's breath against his, wondering why he didn't commit to the final few inches separating them. They _had_ done this before, which made Luka more than eager to do it again— his hand went to his face, thumb caressing down his cheek, in an attempt to push his luck.

Adrien laughed under his breath, pulling back from him, pushing his hand from his face, “Sorry.”

He wasn't sure what that reaction meant, "Hey, do you want to talk--"

"No--" he shook his head, pressing his lips together, "Sorry I just--" he exhaled, looking down at the ground, "I think a guitar would be a good idea. You should send me your schedule to see if there's a specific time we could always look forward to," he smiled, very committed to the idea that what almost happened definitely did not.

Luka nodded slowly, "Yeah I can do that. Is there some special schooltime thing you get to add to your schedule-- you mentioned being busier--"

Shaking his head, he leaned back on his hands, "Yeah, I mean, the school and homework part is always a lot, but to really cram it full I’ve got this dumb extra prep class or something. My father mentioned it offhand but said I have to wait to discuss anything further until our appointment,” he sighed, “It’s so wild how some people can just talk to their parents when they feel like it.”

”It’s more wild that you can’t,” Adrien shrugged, “Is your dad going to be upset about your cut?"

He hesitated, glancing at his arm before laughing, "Oh, yeah, but what's he going to do? It was an accident--" he sighed, laying back all the way, "He really can't get mad at me for something stupid like this but I know he will--"

Oh, he hated that, "I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you to--"

"Hey hey hey--" he said, tapping his arm for his attention, "Stop-- it's his problem if he gets upset. We were just having fun, which is only a crime in the Agreste household,” he sighed, shaking his head, “He can deal with it.”

Luka leaned back to lay next to him, “Hey, you did mention very offhand, that you _have_ been stabbed before, and that’s typically quite a scarring activity--”

“Well I got better,” he turned his head, smiling softly, “You could even say it was… _miraculous_.” _Fuck_. God, fucking damn it all. It was embarrassing how long it took for him to notice, now he knew the connection, it seemed so obvious. Luka stared at him, unsure what to even say, thankful when he continued, “I just--” he sighed, “There’s something about when I get hurt and he gets _mad_ at me? Off putting, you know? Like I broke something that was his.”

“This is getting to be really possessive, blondie.”

Adrien exhaled a laugh, “It’s nothing. What did you say, eight months until I’m free from it all? Bet he’ll find a way to prevent that too--” he continued mumbling under his breath. Something about the nonchalant mention of his father and his home problems were just another sign to him just how much he’d opened up recently, “It’s like as long as I’m an Agreste I’m forbidden from having any fun.”

"Sounds like someone wants a last name change--"

"Yes please--" he laughed, rubbing his face, "My name has a nice sound to it, I can't deny that, but to not automatically be associated with the brand, to my father, oh what a dream."

Luka smiled, looking at him, "Any name in particular you're looking for?"

"You’re asking as if you already have an idea."

"I was just thinking there's arguably not enough Couffaine's out there--"

Adrien snorted before laughing again, glancing at him, "I dunno how Juleka would feel about marrying-- no stop-- don't look at me like that--" Luka rolled his eyes, god he was on point with this ignorance, "We already discussed this and you don't believe in marriage, and also, I am--"

"Hey, when did I tell you that?"

"Earlier this year for sure."

Luka watched him for a moment as he stared back, entirely unfazed. It was kind of terrifying how good he was at bending the truth like that, “Yeah? I did?” 

He shrugged, “I dunno, I’m not going to recap things that have already happened-- and if I were, there would be so many more interesting things to touch on. Like, oh, yeah, you _just_ threw me into the river--”

“Okay okay, you _jumped--_ ” he smiled as Adrien laughed, shaking his head, “You should really learn the difference between those two, you’re getting them mixed up a lot--” 

“Oh and you know everything, huh?” the blond teased, nudging his elbow with his arm.

He couldn't help but smile, watching him, “Definitely not what I was claiming in the slightest-- you just like to exaggerate things in your benefit--”

“I won’t deny that--” 

Chat was so good at keeping his real life hidden it made _sense_ for it to be Adrien, who was also so good at keeping his real life hidden. He played the same card in both cases, completely overwhelming-- no one was going to fact check if Adrien Agreste _actually_ had an extra photoshoot on Fridays, making him unavailable. It was _easy_ to say contradictions he knew would lead to dead ends, but at the same time, it was almost as though Adrien didn’t recognize himself as the hero, like he was his own being altogether. That helped, for sure. 

But which was _him_ ? Luka wanted to know him in every environment, flirty catboy in leather or pretty model boy posing for the cameras or tired mumbling half awake mess or enthusiastic rambling about something he’d never heard of or complaining about every small thing in life, he wanted them all. To just exist by his side was more than enough for him for the time being. Adrien allowed him to make the connection between his identities, which was _huge_ . It meant he knew how he felt about him, and brought awareness that there was a point when the blond wanted to kiss him, and _did_. He just had to get back to that, or more-- whatever evolved from right now he would eagerly accept.

Adrien glanced over, noticing him staring, “What?” he laughed.

“Are you coming back before your classes begin? Or is this an informal goodbye?”

He watched him a moment before shaking his head, “You’re crazy for thinking I’m done with you, Luka,” he smiled softly, “Of course I’ll be back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *play Used To Like by Neon Trees*
> 
> hm. hM.
> 
> if you've ever commented i wanna let you know i re-read them when I'm sad (frequent)  
> thank you so much for reading!


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